Walking With Dinosaurs: The Next Chapter
by nphillips0115
Summary: My sequel to one of the greatest documentaries about prehistoric life ever made. ENJOY!
1. New Blood

Imagine you could travel back in time. All around you, the scenery would - forest to plains, desert, lakes, perhaps even tundra. Land would rise and fall, the moon would grow larger, and eventually, you'd arrive at your destination. All around you are familiar sights, such as flowering plants and small mammals, but some things would differ, such as the increased presence of Conifers, and the lack of grass. We have arrived at the Cretaceous.

This is a world rule by dinosaurs. All around, giant herbivores and carnivores fight in an evolutionary battle for survival. Among the trees and ground cover, mammals scurry about, searching for food. Though much more diverse than previously thought, mammals are still small at this time, waiting for their chance to dominate.

This series will tell the tale of the creatures of this time - how they lived, fought, bred, and ultimately, what drove them to extinction.

Yet our story does not begin here. To reach that point, we must travel back even further in time. All around us, the land changes once more, rising and falling, growing more lush or barren, until we arrive further in the past. Here forests are more common, though occasionally, they give way to flood plains. Across the plains roam many types of dinosaurs, but one group stands out above all others - the sauropods! The giant, long necked herbivores are the largest animals to ever walk on Earth, only being outsized by the blue whale. Yet they do not rule this world alone.

In the skies above, magnificent reptiles known as pterosaurs sail on air currents, searching the globe for food. Beneath the waves, on the other hand, fierce marine reptiles scour the seas, always ready for their next meal. They, too, will have their role to play in this series.

Despite all of these majestic sights, we still have yet to reach the start of our story. To do that, we must travel back one last time, farther than we have yet gone, to a time two hundred and ten million years in the past. There lies a dry, ancient world, and that is where our story begins.

On this grim ecological battlefield, many animals are fighting a desperate battle for survival, among them are slender, fuzzy, erect standing reptiles - the first dinosaurs.

The most common dinosaur in this region is called Coelophysis. Despite being no larger than a child, it is an evolutionary giant. For now, though, he is confined to the shadows.

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Dinosaurs first appeared in the Middle Triassic, thirty million years earlier, and while they have come quite far from their humble beginnings, they are not yet the dominant organisms - other creatures still hold that role. Still, in the dry world, dinosaurs are already showing signs of their future dominance.

While most of the Earth is currently covered in vast deserts, this part of North America is wetter, and is filled with lush forests, ones that can survive even at the height of the dry season. The wet season is only just ending, and as the days drag on, all the creatures in this area will find their ability to survive put to the test.

At the edge of one of the larger rivers, a young Coelophysis watches the riverbank, searching for food. Though still primitive among dinosaurs, it already shares many traits with its descendents - sharp teeth, forward facing eyes, clawed forelimbs, and three toed feet. All traits that make it very efficient...at killing.

With one quick snap of its jaws, the male has plucked a fish out of the water. While he would be content to eat it here, a growing chorus of bellows forces him to retreat.

This strange chorus heralds the arrival of a herd of Placerias. These tusked herbivores are not related to dinosaurs, instead belonging to a group known as synapsids, which will one day give rise to mammals. These squat herbivores are a type of dicynodont, creatures that once dominated the Earth. Now, though, Placerias are the only ones left, and they are quickly becoming an endangered species.

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Nearby, another type of synapsid is busy searching for food along the lake shore. This one, though, is very different from the Placerias - it is far smaller, and resembles the mammals its kind will give rise to. This creature is a cynodont - specifically, a traversodont. Like the Placerias, they too are herbivores, but they won't turn down any meat they can find. For now, though, the tiny synapsid retreats to the safety of his burrow.

While most creatures must seek shelter from the sun beneath trees or large rocks, cynodonts instead take cover in tunnels beneath the Earth. Here, the young are safe from most threats, as are the adults until they need to feed. Cynodonts couples are extremely devoted to each other - they mate for life.

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As the moring drags on, the Placerias begin to disperse. Joining them are another group of strange reptiles - these ones resemble lizards, but have upturned snouts and plated backs, with spikes along their shoulders. These strange creatures are called Desmatosuchus, and they are a type of aetosaur. These creatures belong to a clade known as the archosaurs, which dinosaurs are also a member of, but these creatures are more closely related to crocodiles than dinosaurs. Their upward curved snouts are used to root for food, as are the Placerias' tusks. These herbivores compete for the same sources of food, and in time, one will drive the other to extinction.

A sudden shift of the wind, though, unites all fo the animals with a sense of unease. The male Coelophysis, sensing a danger, seeks shelter in a thicket, while the Placerias and Desmatosuchus begin to bunch together. Yet they are already too late: out of the trees emerges a ferocious reptilian shape, which darts over toward one of the aetosaurs and inflicts a savage wound on the herbivore. The perpetrator of the attack is Postosuchus - the largest carnivore on Earth.

All thoughts of unity go out the window as the herbivores scatter, desperate to avoid the fierce predator. This isn't as easy as it looks - while the Placerias can move surprisingly fast considering their squat appearance, the aetosaurs are weighed down their heavy armor, and one now carries a lethal wound. Even then, the Postosuchus would not have much trouble chasing them - just like Coelophysis, it can stand and run on two legs, giving it a speed advantage over the herbivores.

Eventually, the deep wound takes its toll, and the injured Desmatosuchus collapses. The giant carnivore digs in for a feast.

Nearby, another predator watches on with hungry eyes. This one resembles the Postosuchus, but is smaller, and is earthen gray in color, with light blue rosettes, as opposed to the Postosuchus' red and white. This animal is a Vivaron, one of Postosuchus' smaller relatives. While easily capable of making a kill on its own, this hunter will not turn down an easy meal, and it can afford to wait for the larger carnivore to eat its fill.

Unfortunately, it won't be getting any scraps from this carcass. A chorus of hisses and growls heralds the arrival of even more Postosuchus, these ones larger and fiercer than the one that felled the aetosaur. Noticng the intruders, the hunter attempts to defend its kill, but for naught - it is outnumbered four to one. Reluctantly, it abandons its meal to the intruders, who quickly begin tearing into the carcass squabbling among themselves. Only wen they have had their fill will smaller carnivores have a chance to feed.

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In a nearby thicket, the male Coelophysis is once again on the hunt - a fish can only keep him full for so long. In the trees above, lizard-like reptiles climb around, searching for insects. Called Drepanosaurs, they would make a delicious meal, but they are simply out of the carnivore's reach. It would be easier to search the ground for lizards or large insects than attempt to climb.

Suddenly, the sound of branches breaking fills the air. Surprised, the Coelophysis seeks shelter between two large rocks, the passage between them too narrow for a large carnivore. A moment later, the source of the commotion reveals itself: it is a large, green and red herbivore, one that stands upright on two legs. This is a prosauropod - it too is a type of dinosaur, but of a different kind than Coelophysis. Already a giant among the herbivores of this time, it's descendants will only get bigger, to the point they will be immune to attack. Even now, the prosauropod is beyond the Coelophysis' ability to attack, and it is not long before the carnivore returns to hunting, taking care to avoid getting to close to the giant.

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A few days later, and the Desmatosuchus carcass has been picked bare. Only a few choice pieces of meat remain, and only the most cunning of carnivores can access them. Already, a small group of Hesperosuchus are busy tearing into the remnants of the aetosaurs, eager to get at the scraps.

Suddenly, a shadow passes over the crurotorsans, which quickly scatter in fear. The source is a strange winged reptiles, which quickly lands on the carcass and begins tearing at the few strips of meat left. This creature is a pterosaur, and with a wingspan of 2.3 meters, it is one of the largest from this time. In the Triassic, most pterosaurs are insect eaters, but this one is a predator. This particular pterosaur is from the deserts that will one day become Utah. Having followed the rains in search of food and water, while it may be an active hunter, it will not turn down carrion when it has the chance.

It will need every morsel of flesh that it can find - in the coming months, food and water will only grow scarcer.

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As the dry season begins to bite, life in the forest starts showing sings of stress - the Placerias and Desmatosuchus are forced to spread out further in search of food, forgoing strength in numbers to sate their ravenous stomachs. This makes it far easier for preators to make a kill, and the lone male Postosuchus has already succeeded in felling one of the dicynodonts, and is now eating as much as he can. The younger male is at an advantage compared to his larger competitors - his smaller size means that he needs to eat less than they would, which makes surviving through the dry season that much easier. Still, he will have to keep his guard up, less they still another carcass from him.

Nearby, the male cynodont is on the prowl. He, too, is hungry, and has already located a particularly appetizing bush to feed from. Cautiously, he takes a few bites, before tearing off a tuft of greenery and retreating to the safety of his burrow. Located amid the roots of a tree, it is relatively safe from predators, and provides excellent protection for young. Cynodonts are one of the most well adapted animals for droughts, as their small size means that they do not need to eat or drink as much as their larger competitors, and can wait out the hottest parts of the day in the safety of burrows, which are far cooler than the Earth around them.

At the river's edge, the Coelophysis is also enjoying a good meal, having killed a Effigia, an herbivorous relative of Postosuchus and its ilk. A few meters away, more Effigia risk the predator's attention to sate their thirst, weary of other large predators. Suddenly, a large bursts out of the water, snatching one of the small reptiles and dragging it into the depths, causing the remainder to scatter. The assailant is a type of amphibian known as Koskinodon, another one of the many exotic creatures from this time. It's lineage have ruled the rivers since the time of the first reptiles, but that reign is coming to an end. Reptiles are beginning to return to the water, and have already begun to displace the temnospondyl amphibians as kings of the rivers and seas. Very soon, Koskinodon's kind will be forced to cede their dominion over fresh water to a new type of reptile - the crocodiles.

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 **FOUR** **MONTHS LATER**

It is now the middle of the dry season, and all around the river, life is struggling to survive. With the river growing drier each day, water is becoming a precious resource, and it is something every creature is willing to fight for.

As the male Coelophysis watches on, an old Placeris duels a Desmatosuchus for the right to a small pool. Normally, neither animal would be interested in fighting, as the risk of injury would be too great. Now, however, thirst drives them to fight. The old bull dicynodont is at a disadvantage here - his age makes him slow to react, something his heavily armored opponent can exploit. The battle is mostly visual with threat displays and bellows, but with neither herbivore willing to back down, it soon grows violent. Tusks meet an armor tail, and both animals quickly rack up a few cuts. Eventually, though, the fight is over - a lucky charge by the male Placerias had flipped his opponent over. Unable to right itself, the Desmatosuchus can do nothing to stop its foe from drinking.

Suddenly, the mometary calm is shattered by the arrival of a Vivaron, which swiftly begins tearing into the defenseless aetosaur. The Coelophysis and Placerias beat a hasty retreat, leaving the crocodile relative to enjoy its kill.

Nearby, the prosauropod browses on several conifers, oblivious to the carnage mere meters away. It only stops feeding for a moment when the male Coelophysis darts by it, causing the herbivore to let out a warning cry, before returning to browsing. Owing to their ability to stand upright, prosaurpods are the only herbivores able to feast on tree branches, providing them plenty of food even in the dry season, while their large size deters all but the fiercest of predators.

The sound of crunching leaves alerts the dinosaur to the approach of a trio of small reptiles. They resemble the Coelophysis, but possess beaked mouths with tusks on their upper jaws. Just like the Coelophysis, they are coated in downy feathers. These are another type of dinosaurs, belong to the group known as Ornithischia, the bird hips. One day, these tiny herbivores will give rise to the hadrosaurs, the ankylosaurs, the stegosaurs, the ceratopsians, and the pachycephalosaurs, but for now, they are stuck in the shadows.

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 **ONE WEEK LATER**

With the dry season in full swing, all life around the river is under pressure. The majority of the Placerias have begun to migrate, as have the aetosaurs. This has forced the majority of the Postosuchus to follow them, lest they lose their greatest source of food. All around the river, though, the smaller animals are thriving. The male Coelophysis has just killed a swimming reptile known as Vancleavea, and is now tearing into its carcass. Dinosaurs can do so well in dry environments because their kidneys are very efficient at retaining water, meaning they lose only small amounts of the precious liquid when they excrete. It is for this reason that the dinosaurs are among the most common creatures still living at the river, as they are able to endure the drought more effectively than their competitors.

A few meters away, hidden in their burrow, the cynodonts are sleeping out the worst of the heat. Cynodonts spend most of the day resting within their burrows, only venturing out at night to search for food. It is a strategy that has worked well for their kind in the past, and will continue to prove effective for their descendents in the distant future, the mammals.

Their rest is about to be disrupted, though - a curious Hesperosuchus has come up to their burrow, searching for food. Normally, the cynodonts would retreat from such a predator, but with their young on the line, the male instead chooses to stand his ground and mount a fierce display, successfully driving of the crurotorsan. Safe for the moment, the male returns to his rest.

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A few days later, and the river has been reduced to a trio of small streams, too thin to connect to each other. The amphibians that called it home have disappeared, having either been picked off by predators or forced into hibernation by the slow drying of their home. Most of the plant life surrounding the river has died off, forcing the remaining herbivores into further competition with each other. The lack of prey has taken its toll on the native carnivores, whose numbers have been decimated by the drought.

At the edge of one of the streams, the young male Postosuchus quenches his thirst from one of the rapidly shrinking sources of water still left in the area. Nearby, the prosauropod is also drinking from the stream, dangerously close to the crocodilian relative. As is, it has little to worry - only the mightiest of Postosuchus would risk attacking such a large herbivore, and none would dare attack it while it is still in the prime of its health. For now, a small truce exists between predator and prey. And these two animals are not the only ones upholding it - on the other side of the stream, the male Coelophysis is quenching his thirst side by side with one of the heterodontosaurs, while a trio of Effigia drink side by side with a Hesperosuchus. All animals are at peace here, united by their shared need to quench their thirst.

Yet that peace is about to be shattered.

Charging over a small hill, the quartet of full grown Postosuchus stampede toward the river, their target clear. In moments, the young male already at the stream bank finds himself being attacked by four more of his kind. Though he attempts to fight back, he is swiftly overwhelmed. This attack is not one motivated by hunger, but territorialism - the remaining prey surrounding the stream cannot sustain this many Postosuchus, so the larger ones are attempting to eliminate the competition. Once the male is dead, they will likely turn on each other, until only one remains.

Their vicious attack will not go unmolested, though. The brawl brings them right next to the prosauropod, which lashes out in shock, catching one of the carnivores in the side. A second blow breaks the fore-arm of another of the beasts, providing the young male an opportunity to escape his attackers. The remaining two crurotorsans break off their assault and turn their attention to the giant dinosaur. One bites slams into the plant eater, knocking it onto its side, while another charges toward the fallen giant's head, ready to take the herbivore down.

Suddenly, a large shape darts out of the water and clamps its jaws around the neck of the charging carnivore, which feebly attempts to free itself before being dragged into the depths of the river. The culprit of this strange attack is a Smilosuchus, which is a type of reptile known as a pytosaur. Though superficially reminiscent of a crocodile, the two are not closely related, and this magnificent predator will go extinct without issue, but for now, it is the undisputed king of the river.

While one battle has ended, another is just beginning. Taking advantage of the commotion that freed it, the young male Postosuchus slams into one of his attackers, the one that had the misfortune of the taking a claw to its forearm from the prosauropod. Once the wounded carnivore is on the ground, its assailant tears into its neck, swiftly killing the older predator. The young male wastes no time into digging into the still cooling carcass - meat is meat, regardless of its source. Disheartened and broken spirited, the remaining half of the Postosuchus gang retreats, though one now bears a great wound on its right hind leg. it is likely the wounded predator will recover.

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Four months later, and the rains are yet to arrive. With the promised end of the drought now a month late, life is truly on edge for all of the natives. Now, only the strongest will survive.

Beneath a giant conifer, a trio of Coelophysis fight over the remains of a Trilophosaurus, all desperate to sate their hunger. In the trees above them, more Trilophosuars browse on the few conifer leaves remaining, all the while trying to keep away from the trio of carnivores below them. Nearby, the male Coelophysis watches the trio fight over the shrim pickings, before turning his attention to the skies above him. Not too far away, the male sees a pterosaur, the same one that picked the dead Desmatosuchus carcass clean. The pterosaur is circling overhead of something, and the Coelophysis knows that the pterosaur only circle over one thing: food. Emboldened by the sight, he charges toward it, eager to sate his belly. As he nears the pterosaur's location, he encounters more of his kind, all looking for food.

At last reaching the pterosaur's location, the small dinosaurs see the reason for the winged reptile's circular flight pattern: on the ground before them is the dying form of the injured Postosuchus. Unable to hunt properly, he has steadily grown weaker, until at last he can no longer endure the drought. Sensing the approaching dinosaurs, he tries to stand, but the male Coelophysis takes the opportunity to tear into the rauisuchian's leg, snatching a ribbon of succulent flesh from the giant carnivore. The pain forces it into the ground, leaving it helpless to defend itself from the dinosaur horde, who quickly begin to tear into its flesh, finally killing the old giant.

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That night, the skies are alight with lightning as the overdue rains finally arrive. A small fire breaks out, scattering the surviving residents of the forest, and claiming the lives of the weakest ones. The flames are swiftly put out by the rains, though, which quickly soak into the ground, filling the river to the brim.

Sensing the rains, the Koskinodon awaken from their hibernation. While these beasts are doomed to eventually cede the water to crocodiles, their kind will endure for a while longer, lasting until the late Cretaceous before they finally go extinct.

Not too far away, the cynodonts are exiting their burrow, joined by their pups, who are finally old enough to leave the den and explore the outside world. The cynodonts are one of the great survivors of this time, and while they will be forced into the shadows for the next one hundred and thirty five million years, they will still achieve spectacular diversity.

It is Coelophysis and its kin, though, that shall achieve dominance of the future, a future that is beginning mere meters away. The .Coelophysis, the heterodontosaurs, and the prosauropod have all survived the drought, and now dominate the forest area. And they are not alone. As the sun begins to reach its zenith, a huge herd of herbivores approaches the river. These giants are prosauropods, just like the one that already calls this area home. Have followed the rains in search of food, and with most of the native competition wiped out by the drought, the are poised to dominate.

This is the shape of things to come - the Age of the Dinosaurs has dawned!

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 ** _A mass extinction event ten million years from now will wipe out most of the animals in this ancient world, but the dinosaurs would only go from strength to strength. In the next program, we will see how they came to dominate the world._**

 ** _(Cue shot of a crested dinosaur getting ready to attack a prosauropod)._**

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 **AN: I'm back! Sorry about the Hiatus on Prehistoric Park: Returned from Extinction. I've been working on this and stuff on and .**

 **I plan to try and finish this alongside the current chapter of my Prehistoric Park story, so keep reading!**

 **Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!**


	2. Chapter 2: Land of Dragons

Amid the shadows of the conifer forest, a lone dinosaur is on the move. Trudging through the tree line, the herbivore only occasionally stops to browse for food, ever cautious of danger.

Suddenly, a hissing noise forces the giant to a halt. The source of it is a large, crested carnivore, teeth and claws red with blood. This grisly sight is, ironically, a good thing - the predator has already found a good meal, and is merely warning the herbivore to stay away. Seeing no reason to anger the feeding carnivore, the giant dinosaur continues on its way, at last finding what it was searching for: a herd of dinosaur that look just like it.

Free at last from its loneliness, and the danger that it brings, the herbivore moves to rejoin its herd, as the continue on their endless march for food.

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It has been roughly twenty million years since our last exploration into the Mesozoic, and life on Earth has seen a drastic shift in the balance of power. Many older varieties of reptiles and synapsids have died out, and in their stead, dinosaurs have come to rule the world. In the absence of aetosaurs, new armored dinosaurs have emerged, while the theropods have grown larger to take the roles the rauisuchians once held. The prosauropods, meanwhile, have only gotten bigger and bigger. Here, in what is now China, the dominion of the dinosaurs is becoming ever more apparent.

One of the more common sauropods in this region is _Lufengosaurus._ Though not the largest herbivore, at six meters in length on average for an adult, they are, for the most part, immune to attack. To ward of larger predators, the herbivores congregate in herds, which have the added benefit of protecting the next generation of prosauropods until they are fit to reproduce.

In this particular herd, one member became separated the previous night due to being too busy grazing to notice the rest of its fellows move on. Fortunately, the straggler has managed to catch up, and the herd, now once again at full strength, continues on its way, seeking more greenery to sate their bellies.

For the moment, though, that journey is being put on hold. Spying a shallow stream, the herd halts their endless march to quench their thirst. Fresh water is not particularly rare in this region, but it is often filled with dangerous crocodilians, and those are one of the few types of animals capable of killing an adult _Lufengosaurus._ This stream, however, is too shallow for crocodilians to hide in, making it safer to drink from. This kind of opportunity to drink without fear of attack is a rarity for these dinosaurs, and they will not hesitate to exploit it to its fullest. The herd quickly disperses to drink, with juveniles sticking close to adults and a sentry on the alert, searching for land based predators that may exploit the stream to launch an attack. Only when one of their fellows has finished and taken their place will the sentries take their turn to drink.

It seems that the herd will not have the stream to themselves for long, though.

Emerging from the edge of the forest is a large, crested carnivore. This is _Sinosaurus,_ and it is the top predator in the region. A giant among the local fauna, it is the only terrestrial predator that will attack adult prosauropods. Fortunately for the herd, though, this one has already eaten, and is merely looking for a drink to wash down its meal. The sentries let out a warning call, but while the herd moves away from the carnivore, they do not yet choose to retreat - some still need to sate their thirst, and the older individuals are well aware that if a predator is not trying to hide from them, then it is unlikely to attack unless provoked. Unperturbed by the herbivores' presence, the _Sinosaurus_ walks up to the banks of the stream, mere meters away from the edge of the herd, and begins to drink.

For a moment, the banks are calm, but after a few more minutes have passed, the herd has had its fill and begin to move away. The carnivore turns its attention to them for one more moment, before returning its focus to the slowly flowing water. It will be at least two days before it will need to feed again, and the herd is too dangerous to attack.

Though the Chinese carnivore resembles the American _Dilophosaurus,_ they two are not closely related. _Dilophosaurus_ is closer to _Coelophysis,_ and their family will give rise to the horned ceratosaurs of the later Jurassic, and, through them, the abelisaurs and noasaurus of the Cretaceous. _Sinosaurus_ , meanwhile, belongs to a more advanced group of carnivores, the Tetanurans, named for their stiff tail bones. This family will give rise to the sail backed spinosaurs, the created allosaurs, and the fuzzy coelurosaurs, which will range from the fearsome _Tyrannosaurus,_ to the swift _Velociraptor,_ to the humble dove. Already, some of these traits are apparent in _Sinosaurus:_ the carnivore not only has a wishbone and stiff tail, but also a coat of down feathers. It will be many, many generations, however, before this giant resembles the killers to come.

Eventually, the dinosaurs drink their fill, and predator and prey part ways.

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The convoy of prosauropods smashes through the forest, forcing any small creatures in their way to run, lest they be trampled by the giant wall of flesh. While nowhere near as capable of devastating ecosystems the way their descendants will, their constant movement stilll disrupts the lives of everything around them, often detrimentally. Among those displaced are small, fuzzy synapsids, such as _Yunnanodon_ and _Hadrocodium_. Despite their appearances, these creatures are not mammals - they are merely close relatives. _Yunnandon_ , in particular, is part of an older group known as tritylodonts. First appearing side by side with true mammals, these creatures have done very well, and in the case of the tritylodonts, will live for another eighty five million years before they become extinct.

Right now, though, these mammals need to seek shelter - the herbivores' endless march has left them dangerously exposed. Some climb into trees, others retreating into the safety of their burrows, while the remainder seek shelter in the few logs and stones the herbivores did not demolish on their endless march. Joining them are other small creatures, from insects to lizards to sphenodonts, all displaced by the roving herbivores. Competition for space is fierce, as no creature wants to go unprotected.

Adding to the urgency is that fact that the exodus of small animals has not gone unnoticed. Emerging from several large ferns are slim, fuzzy creatures resembling the _Coelophysis_ we saw on our last adventure. These are _Panguraptor,_ and they are close cousins of the Triassic theropods. Normally, they would stay away from the prosauropods, as while a juvenile or weak adult could provide them a feast, they are no match for so many mature and healthy sauropodomorphs. The demolition of the forest floor, however, provides them with a veritable feast, with little danger to themselves - this part of the forest is too dense for _Sinosaurus_ to hunt in. The tiny carnivores swiftly pick off any exposed animal that they can find, but ultimately, there are far more creatures running than the theropods can feast on, so while coelophysoids are able to sate their bellies, most of their prey is able to escape.

Not all animals flee from the giant dinosaurs. At the rear of the herd, a trio of armor plated dinosaurs has joined the prosauropods. These are _Bienosaurus,_ and their reasons for following the giants is simple - the long necked herbivores have far better eyesight than they do, and can provide early warning in the event of danger. Though the long _Lufengosaurus_ do not directly received any protection due to the herbivores' presence, more eyes on the lookout for danger is always appreciated.

Slowly, the herd trudges on, eventually leaving the small, feathered hunters behind.

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As the herbivores march onward in their endless quest for food, their travels take them all the way to the edge of the continent, up to the coast of the formerly endless ocean of Panthalassa. Now, however, the supercontinent of Pangaea has split, and in doing so, split the ocean - hundreds of kilometers to the South, the Tethys Ocean has formed, and this has radically altered the climate of the world - where once was desert, there are now forests and flood plains.

Normally, the herd would not traverse a beach, for the sandy shoreline leaves them woefully exposed to predators, but recent rains have flooded the only other way on to their next feeding site, forcing them along this path.

Already, predators have begun to appear - the _Sinosaurus_ they met at the river has returned, and it is on the prowl.

For now, though, the herd is safe - the predator has found himself the fresh remains of a shark to feast, if only for a short time. Briefly, another of his kind approaches the carrion, trying to steal a portion for herself. Unwilling to share, the male hisses at her and displays his crests, attempting to force her to retreat. She responds in kind, refusing to back down. Enraged, the male hisses at her, only for her to return the aggression. The kill is simply too precious to ignore.

Before either carnivore can come to blows, though, a huge, fish-like shape bursts out of the water and grab's the shark's tail. With some difficulty, it tugs on the carcass, until eventually, the rear half of the animal is torn free from its front end. Meal now secured, the piscine creature manages to haul itself into the ocean, away from the squabbling dinosaurs. The raider is a type of marine reptile known as an ichthyosaur. First appearing in the Triassic some time before dinosaurs, these mighty beasts are the current rulers of the sea. Their fish-like shapes are a type of evolutionary convergence - despite being reptiles, they look similar to fish because that form is very efficient for life under water. Only their air breathing nature and a few minor skeletal differences reveal that this creature is a reptile. For the moment, ichthyosaurs are the top predators of these ancient seas, but they are reigning on borrowed time. Soon, other marine reptiles will appear, and they will force the ichthyosaurs out of their position as the rulers of the sea. Even then, though, ichthyosaurs will not suffer too much, as they will survive all the way until the middle of the Cretaceous period.

The two large land living carnivores watch the fish-like reptile leave, before the female takes the opportunity to snatch a piece of meat the came free when the carnivore tore the shark in half. The male roars at her until she retreats, before his attention returns to the kill. At the edge of the tree-line, the female enjoys her small meal, still eyeing the carcass. Once the male is gone, she will take up ownership of the corpse.

The migrating herbivores stare at the spectacle for a while longer, before finally moving on - they, too, must listen to the endless rumbling of their bellies.

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A few days later, and the herd has arrived on the banks of another river. This time, though, they must cross the running water - their feeding grounds are on the other side. Already, another group of prosauropods is enjoying the greenery - a quartet of _Yunnanosaurus_ is already enjoying the greenery, though these prosauropods did not reach it unscathed. Along the river, several more _Yunnanosaurus_ lie dead, their bodies surrounded by hungry crocodiles.

For the _Lufengosaurus,_ though, the corpses are a good sign. So long as the crocodilians are feasting on them, the herd is safe from attack. With the nearest predators occupied, the plant eaters are able to cross without incident.

As is the _Sinosaurus_ tailing them.

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A few hours later, and the herd has dispersed to feed. Some browse near the river's edge, occasionally squabbling with the _Yunnanosaurus,_ while others move deeper into the forest, looking for cycads that grow among the dense trees. Though each individual tries to keep within sight of at least on other, it doesn't take long for some of them to become isolated. Amongst them was one of the herd's juveniles, which had wandered into a thicket to feast on some particularly tasty cycads, leaving itself dangerously exposed to attack.

Already, it was being watched. The male _Sinosaurus_ was examining him from roughly one hundred meters away, eager for a fresh meal. Other members of the herd were more exposed, but the juvenile presented less of a risk. Cautiously, he advanced toward the herbivore, trying hard to avoid making noise. Even now, one false move could ruin his hunt. The thicket impairs his mobility, meaning he must reach its edge before he can strike - should the herbivore sense him before that time, it will be able to escape. Luckily for him, the plant eater is too preoccupied eating to notice him, and it is not long before he is within striking distance.

A snapped twig causes the herbivore to turn toward the carnivore. A moment later, it screeches and bolts, followed shortly by a feathered figure...and another...and another. Soon five of the figures are upon the herbivore, sole attacking its flanks, others leaping onto its back to strike at the exposed flesh. The _Sinosaurus_ briefly freezes in surprise, before quickly charging after its prey. It quickly catches up to the herbivore and bats it to the side, knocking one of the _Panguraptor_ over in the process. A short battle ensues over the still living herbivore, with the tetanuran attempting to force the coelophysoids off. Surprisingly, however, it is the larger predator that backs down, albeit for a good reason.

As the smaller carnivores go in for the kill, a loud bellow resounds through the air. Behind them is a grown male prosauropods, the same one who we observed earlier. He had heard the juvenile's distress call, and now, he has come to save it. Before the small theropods can react, he bats into the leader's side with his right forelimb, leaving a large gash on its back. Surprised, the rest of the pack retreats, including the one hit by the newly arrived herbivore. Though mostly bruised by the ordeal, she now possesses a small gash on her back, and in this world, injured animals do not last long.

Safe for the moment, the duo retreats toward the main body of the herd, while the _Sinosaurus_ stares on.

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A few days later, and the herd is once again on the move. Their stalker is not far behind, eagerly eyeing the weakest members of the group, waiting for the moment an opportunity becomes available.

Suddenly, the sound of breaking branches fills the air. Confused and uneasy, the herd stops, trying to find the source of the sound. When that fails, they bunch up and begin to move once more, this time more closely packed to deter predators. The _Sinosaurus,_ meanwhile, circles around them, trying to see what broke the branches.

As the herd is forced to make a turn, they hear the breaking of branches once more. This time, though, they can see its source: a saurischian Dinosaur, albeit one they have never seen before. The long neck and small head are those of an herbivore, but its feet and downy coat are those of a carnivore. Strangest of all, though, is its long arms, which end in huge claws, which are busy pulling down branches to the bizarre animal's mouth. Briefly, the creature stops its feeding to look at the herd, before returning to feeding.

This peculiar dinosaur is _Eshanosaurus_ , one of the first of the group known as the therizinosaurs, or 'scythe lizards'. This one is a male who has wandered away from his clan, who are drinking at a nearby pond. Though primarily plant eaters, therizinosaurs will also try insects, fish, and occasionally, carrion. For now, though, this one is merely content to feast on the trees.

Once the feeling of surprise passes, the herd moves on. This herbivore is of no concern to them, though because of its claws, they keep their distance. So does their stalker - the _Sinosaurus_ has no interest in attacking the clawed dinosaur. It has never seen one of these beasts before, and therefore had no understanding of its strengths. Predators are cautious around unfamiliar prey, and with familiar targets nearby, it has no reason to try its luck. So for now, it will leave the feathered giant be.

Oblivious to the other creatures, the _Eshanosaurus_ continues to browse.

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Later that day, the herd comes to a stop at a nearby clearing, where another herd has already begun feeding. For several males and females, though, food is not on their minds. This is the mating season for _Lufengosaurus,_ and many would be parents desire the chance to pass on their genes into the next generation. Already, males have begun competing, with the females watching from below the shade of a large tree. Among other observers are a group of _Eshanosaurus..._ and the male _Sinosaurus._ While fights between the male prosauropods rarely result in death, injuries are not uncommon, and after a bout between two males, an injured one would be too tired to defend itself.

Among the interested male _Lufengosaurus_ is the one we have followed. This is his first year as a mature adult, and with testosterone filling his mind, only defeat by another male will get him to back down. Already, he has his eyes on a female. Unfortunately for him, so does another male. And this one is both older and larger than him.

The two males face each and begin bellowing, while also spreading their arms and standing more upright than normal. This displaying is the first part of their confrontation - males will try to intimidate each other before engage jag in combat, in order to conserve valuable energy and avoid unnecessary injury. For these two, however, displaying is not enough. The younger male, full of energy, charges his rival and begins grappling with him. Surprised, the older male is lying on his side within moments. The younger male attempts to press his advantage, only to take a swipe to his head. Dazed, he cannot keep his rival from regaining his footing, and soon the two herbivores are locked in a more even battle. The young male may have speed and stamina on his side, but the elder is not only stronger, he also has more experience.

Both males ferociously fight, throwing each other into nearby rocks and foliage, clawing and even biting at each other, each unwilling to give ground. Eventually, though, both begin to tire. It is the younger male who is tiring the fastest - though he has more stamina than his opponent, his lack of strength has sapped that stamina far faster than expected. He needs to knock his opponent out soon, or he will lose.

Steeling himslef, the young male charges own last time, and manages to push his foe back one more time, this time into a tree. As the elder male hits the bark, a pound crunching sound fills the air - the older male cracked his ribs during that attack, and is now quite a bit weaker, and very, very winded. His opponent, however, is worse off - the young male can barely stand. Sensing victory, the elder male stands up and, with difficulty, begins walking toward his rival, ready to end the fight for good

Suddenly, some explodes out of the forest and slams into the older male's injured side, toppling him. Within moments, sharp teeth sink into his neck and twist, severing his spinal column, guranteeing a quick kill. Above the fallen herbivore, the _Sinosaurus_ howls in triumph, before sinking his teeth into his meal. Nearby, the rest of the prosauropods can only stare on, all of them rigid with shock. Eventually, though, the victorious male moves to greet one of the females, claiming her as his own. Shortly after that, they herd moves on, being careful to give the predator some space.

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 **Dinosaurs were very successful in the Jurassic , but they were not palone. In the skies above them flew the pterosaurs, while in the seas Dawn ferocious marine reptiles. In our next program, we see just how might the marine reptiles got.**

 **(Shot of a pliosaur attacking a sauropod)**


	3. Titans of Land and Sea

The sun hangs high over an ancient sky, while below, waves crash against the shoreline. Small lizards run across the sand, chasing insects.

Occasionally, mammals join in these hunts.

For a moment, all is calm.

Then, suddenly, a herd of sauropods thunder across the beach. Their whip like tails confirm them to be diplodocoids, and this herd is clearly quite panicked. A moment later, the spruce of their panic emerges - seven large, crested predators, all fixated on the giant dinosaurs. The red crested killers eventually catch up with their quarry and begin to infiltrate the herd, trying to isolate one of the weaker animals. One female, in particular, has already zeroed in on her target - an old sauropod cow that has started to move off to the right of the herd. Carefully, she maneuvers her way through the Giants' ranks until she is directly to the cow's left, before leaping onto her flank. As the old cow bellows in pain, the carnivore repeatedly slams her head into the exposed flesh like an axe, each time blow tearing into the sauropod's flesh and drawing blood to the surface.

Eventually, the cow shakes her assailant off, but the damage is already done - the sauropod has begun to slow down, and the loss of blood is slowly but surely weakening her. Immediately, the pack focuses on the injured female and moves in for the kill. One male theropod, however, is too busy attacking an adolescent male sauropod to notice. The long-necked herbivore takes a swing of his whip-like tail at the predator, only for the limb to be caught by the carnivore, which begin twisting its jaws. Eventually, the whip-like limb cannot take the stress, and the tip breaks off. The carnivore roars in triumph, leaving him vulnerable for a split second.

That is enough for the wounded giant, which promptly kicks the predator with its hind leg, sending it flying away. The Hunter has the ground with a thud, before trying, desperately, to get back up. Unfortunately, the kick has broken three of his ribs, and he barely has the strength to stand, especially in the muddy sand where the waves hit the beach. With some difficulty, he begins trudging back up the beach, unaware he is being watched.

Farther up the shoreline, the sauropod cow has collapsed from her injuries, her strength having faded away. Already, the carnivores are moving in to finish their quarry, but so long as there is still some fight left in the giant, they will not advance. Eventually, however, the female who started the attack on the cow grows impatient, and quickly runs up to the saurood's side and tears a chunk out of her leg, quickly wolfing down as much meat as she can. Unfortunately, the sauropod is not quite dead, and with the last of her strength, swings her tail at the crested carnivore. The predator has just enough time to look up before the whip-end of the tail slams into her lower jaw, which shatters from the impact force. Howling in agony, the carnivore collapses, then slowly drags itself away from the giant plant water. The rest of her pack, meanwhile, begins to dig into to the carcass of the old herbivore.

Back at the water's edge, the male has almost made his was ashore. With the severity of his injuries, he will not be able to get the choicest parts of the sauropod. Instead, his eyes have now fallen onto the his injured comrade, who now lies in the sand, trying to wait out the pain of her injury. She will do nicely for a meal.

Suddenly, a huge shape bursts out of the water. Before the male can react, a huge pair of jaws close around his neck. A moment later, he is hoisted into the air as an enormous body, more massive than his own, hails itself back into the ocean, leaving the female carnivore dumbfounded. Minutes later, and the male land predator is pulled apart by aquatic killers, primarily by his attacker, but also by a pod of fish-like ichthyosaurs that have joked the attack. Soon all that remains of him are a few bones and pieces of flesh that none of the hunters were willing to devour. These quickly settle into the sand, and are soon buried by new sediment deposited by the waves.

The female carnivore stares on for a moment, before turning her attention back to the carcass. With some difficulty, she drags herself to one of its legs and begins to dig in, though the injury to her jaw makes this quite a challenge

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 _Three Months Later_

It is now the late part of the Jurassic Period, and dinosaurs have secured their dominion over Earth. The long necked sauropods, descendants of the prosauropods of the Triassic and Early Jurassic, have grown to sizes never before achieved by land animals, as have their predators. This is the apex of the age of dinosaurs. Most of the world is covered in either lush forests or sprawling fern prairies, home to a variety of weird and wonderful animals, chief among them the dinosaurs. Nowhere is this diversity more apparent than in North America.

In what will one day be Wyoming, many species of dinosaurs live together, fighting the constant evolutionary battle between predator and prey. Among the most common dinosaurs in this area is _Stegosaurus._ Despite what fiction may have shown, this beast will never have to fear assault by _Tyrannosaurs -_ the plated herbivore will be long extinct by the time the tyrant reptile king makes his debut. Even if it did, though, the herbivore's meter long tail spikes would encourage any predator to think twice about attacking this dinosaur.

Yet the spikes and brightly colored horny plates on the herbivores back do nothing to discourage one type of dinosaur from approaching this giant. Sandy colored, at a glance it appears to be the famous _Iguanodon,_ but this is a more basal ornithopod, known as _Camptosaurus._ These ornithischians are the most common medium sized herbivores on the fern savannahs, and though certainly large compared to a human, there size offers them little protection in this landscape. This is why they congregate with _Stegosaurus -_ the larger plant eater puts off predators, allowing the relatively vulnerable ornithopods to graze in peace. This is not without its benefits to the stegosaurs, though - _Camptosaurus_ have better eyesight and hearing than the plated herbivore, and coupled with its ability to stand upright more easily than any stegosaur can, they often provide sentries for the slower, spike tailed plant eaters. This ensures both creatures can feed without feed of attack.

Already, the sentries have spotted one potential danger. Nearby a large bush, a _Marshosaurus_ is busy feeding on the remains of a _Hoplosuchus_ that is has recently after the famous paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, _Marshosaurus_ is one of the smaller members of the megalosaur family, which will one day include the giant spinosaurs that will rule the wetalnds and coastal areas of the Early Cretaceous. For now, though, they compete with the carnosaurs and ceratosaurs for dominion of the land.

The sentries watch the predator for a while longer, before letting out a low bellow. The herd reacts and slowly backs up a short distance before continuing to graze. The carnivore will not attack so long as it is already eating, but approaching the kill risks incurring its ire. For now, the herd will keep their distance. Only once the predator finishes will the attempt to either move away or chase it off.

Suddenly, a change in the wind brings a new scent to the heribvores' nostrils. Instantly, they are on guard, with the sentries letting out shrieks and cries that cause their compatriots to bunch of, seeking strength in numbers. The ornithopods cluster to the center of the herd, as do the juvenile stegosaurs, while the adults circle around the edges, tails at the ready.

To the East is the source of their fear - it is a female _Allosaurus,_ the lion of the Jurassic, and the most common large predator of the region. At almost two tons, this female is among the largest of her kind, and one of the most feared predators in the area. On her own, though, she poses no threat to the herd. Only a large _Torvosaurs, Epanterias, or Saurophaganax_ could hope to assail this herd on their own and hope for success. Yet _Allosaurus_ are rarely solitary animals - though not terribly social, trios or pairs of the crested carnivores are not uncommon, and that is why the herbivores are so ancious - where there is one allosaur, there are likely more.

On this occasion, though, the female truly is alone. After a tense five minutes, the herbivores realize this and slowly go back to grazing. The carnivore has no interest in attacking them - its sense of smell is leading it toward a far easier meal. The megalosaur, sensing the larger carnivore's presence, hastily grabs its carcass and retreats, unwilling to risk a fight. It need not have worried, though - the female's nose is leading her to a different meal.

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In a nearby forest, smaller ornithischians forage among the undergrowth, safe from the predations of the predators of the plains. Five species flourish in this area - _Drinker, Othnielosaurus, Dryosaurus, Nanosaurus, and Fruitadens,_ all similar in both appearance and niche. It is rare to see animals that share the same niches interacting with one another, but it is the middle of the dry season, and scarce resources have pushed rivals into heated competition with each other. Occasionally, fights break out, and one species is forced away from the forest, if only for a time. Predators are keen to exploit these confrontations for food, and already, a _Tanycolagreus_ has felled one of the _Drinker,_ and is busy eating its fill.

The drama of the forest, however, is quickly put on hold as the female allosaur emerges from behind a trio of trees, sending the tiny dinosaurs into panic. The herbivores flee, while the coelurosaur, having gone without food for almost two weeks, attempts a threat display in an effort to repulse the carnosuar...and is ignored. Instead, the female's interest lies in something far larger.

Hidden behind a small set of bushes lies an herbivore resembling the _Camptosaurus,_ albeit smaller. This is _Uteodon,_ and this individual is not doing well. A cut on its left thigh has become infected, and with the onset of the dry season, it will only continue to get worse. Exhaustion and sickness have sperated this animal from its herd, as well as weakened its senses, leaving it unable to detect the oncoming carnivore...or defned itself from her hunger.

The female quickly bites down of the herbivore's head and twists her skull, snapping her quarry's neck in one move. Her target dead, she quickly begins tearing into the carcass, wolfing down as much as she can. Already, scavengers have begun to arrive, though for the moment, they consist of the small coelurosaurs _Ornitholestes_ and _Coelurus,_ animals she can easily intimidate. Her real concern is filling her gullet before larger predators show up, ones that she cannot scare away.

As she bites into the carcass, it becomes apparent she has suffered from an extreme skull injury - her lower jaw appears to have been shattered and, somehow, healed slightly off center with the rest of her skull. It is a small handicap, but for a large carnivore, any handicap can be fatal.

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Hundreds of miles to the west of the female _Allosaurus'_ drama, the struggle between predator and prey continues. Here, however, there is no solid ground, nor are there any dinosaurs. Instead, huge marine reptiles swim beneath the waves, feasting upon plankton, fish, sharks, shellfish, and each other.

Among the most common creatures in this area are dolphin like ichthyosaurs, and the most common species in this area, the Sundance Sea, are _Baptanodon._ Like most ichthyosaurs, these ones are black in color, and are some of the swiftest predators in the ocean. At the moment, one pod is already on the prowl, chasing a group of squid unlucky enough to be forced up by a particularly ill timed upwelling. Joining this pod are other ichthyosaurs, these ones a mix of white, yellow, and purple, but otherwise very similar to the _Baptanodon._ These are _Ophthalmosaurus,_ and they are among the most successful of this time period's ichthyosaurs. Though normally found off the cost of Europe, this pod has been drawn to the Sundance Sea due to a migration of belemnites, one of their favored foods. They will stay as long as the cephalopods do, and then they will depart. Their relatives, however, will not join them - _Baptanodon_ are not migrants.

Though this scene seems peaceful, it only takes an instant for things to fall apart.

As the ichthyosaurs continue to pursue their prey, a new smell fills the water. At first, the fish-like reptiles are curious about it, but soon, their interest turns to fear - it is blood that they smell in the water. In a matter of seconds, the marine reptiles scatter, trying to avoid the blood and whatever has filled the water with its smell. A few terrified reptiles collide with each other in their frenzied retreat. Soon, the water is eerily silent and empty.

The peace does not last long. A huge maw rises from the depths, and trapped within it, a shark. Four powerful flippers propel the mighty jaws forward, as they continue to tear into shark's corpse. This is _Megalneusaurus,_ a pliosaur. A relative of the famous _Liopleurodon,_ this is the apex predator of the Sundance Sea. Even sharks, among the most ferocious predators in the ocean today, are food for this massive killer. Joining it are a quartet of long necked marine reptiles. These are _Pantosaurus,_ a type of plesiosaur. Though it may be hard to see, these creatures are actually close relatives of the _Megalneusaurus -_ both belong to the plesiosaur family, though their destinies lie on different paths. The short necked pliosaurs, while successful now, will eventually go extinct in the Cretaceous, out competed by mosasaurs, while the long necked elasmosaurs will last until the end of the Cretaceous, where they, along with most of the dinosaurs, will meet their end. For now, though, the two groups live in harmony.

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Back on land, only a kilometer from where the female allosaur has made her kill, giants are on the move.

A huge herd of _Diplodocus_ is moving through the fern prairies. These massive herbivores are among the most common of their kind, and in order to sustain such a massive bulk, they must always be migrating. Despite having necks several times longer than a giraffe, they are not tree top browsers. Instead, they use their elongated necks to sweep the ground for ferns, allowing them to eat an amazing amount of food without moving their feet an inch. Joining this herd is another type of sauropod, _Camarasaurus._ This is the most common sauropod, and unlike their larger, yet paradoxically, more slender relatives, they primarily feed on the tops of trees. The smallercamarasaurs are not migrants, but for the moment, they are traveling with their larger kin. The reason for this is only fifty meters behind the herd - _Torvosaurus,_ the second and largest of the megalosaurs from North America. Unlike its smaller cousin, this creature is an apex predator. Normally, though, this predator sticks to marsh lands, and would rarely be interested in attacking a sauropod - carnosaurs are far better suite to that niche. This herd of diplodocoids, though, has many young individuals in it, including one small adults with an injured whip tail. For the male's part, he is lucky - among dinosaurs, diplodocoids are the only ones able to regrow any part of their tails. For now, though, he keeps to the center of the herd - while he can still defend himself, his tail injury has vastly decreased his effective tail striking distance, and even the smallest of handicaps can be fatal.

Nearby, unnoticed by the herd or their stalker, is a large, stony mound. This is the home of some of the first termites, but even at this point in history, these insects are not safe from predation. At the edge of the mound, near one of the entrance holes, is a rat sized mammal known as _Fruitafossor._ Though diminutive in appearance, this creature is a gigantic evolutionary step for mammals - it is one of the first specialized ant eaters, though as ants themselves will not evolve for another few million years, its primary source of nutrition are termites and tiny species of roaches. A bad week of foraging has forced this mammal to expose itself in broad daylight to search for food, but this time, it is in luck - the megalosaur's presence has scared off all of the dinosaurs and pterosaurs that would see it as a meal, leaving the basal tribosphenid to feast in peace.

Eventually, though, the herd moves on, as does its pursuer. Knowing that its unknowing protector has vanished, the armadillo-like mammal quickly runs off toward its burrow. Despite having such a good meal, it will have to forage again later tonight - mammals need a lot of energy to maintain their metabolism.

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A month passes, and the dry season begins to affect the landscape. At the largest lake in the area, the waterline has receded by a meter, leaving several shore plants parched. The native water living crocodilians, _Amphicotylus_ and _Diplosaurus,_ have been forced to share the smaller water with many more of their kin than normal, and as the hissing and occasional fights prove, this is not exactly a pleasant arrangement.

The receding water level has not only forced the goniopholids into more open competition, it has also made hiding from both predator and prey more difficult. Already, one female _Diplosaurus_ lies dead on the lakeshore, body torn open by razor sharp teeth. The culprit of this gruesome attack is a male _Ceratosaurus,_ the most common medium sized predator of the Morrison area. Though capable killers on land, ceratosaurs are surprisingly good swimmers, and occasionally hunt the crocodilians in the water, despite the risk it brings. For this male, the goniopholid is a feast. As carnosaurs rarely eat armored prey, there are few creatures that will challenge him for this kill, and it is unlikely he will have to make another for at least a week. As the dry season will only continue to worsen, this advantage could mean the difference between life and death.

In a nearby clearing, another _Ceratosaurus_ has found a great feast - the carcass of a _Camarasaurus._ This male is among the chosen few animals in nature that live to die of old age, leaving his corpse mostly unblemished. The female will soon see to it that this changes, especially considering her company - she is a mother, and her brood needs as much food as they can get in the days to come. At this stage in life, they are very vulnerable, and will need as much help as they can get to survive. Despite their mother's best efforts, it is likely only one will live to adulthood.

Soon, the family is joined by other carnivores. A quintet of _Ornitholestes_ are the first to arrive, having stumbled on the carcass while attempting, unsuccessfully, to search for small mammals in the undergrowth of the nearby forest. Following them is another ceratosaur, this one a male, but not just any male. This one is the female's mate: _Ceratosaurus_ males are just as caring of their young as females, and these predators mate for life. After him arrive a mixed group of _Fruitachampsa_ and _Hallopus_ , land living crocodilians that normally feast on baby dinosaurs. This strange menagerie of carnivores have all been driven together by the smell of food, and due to the carcass' size, they are unlikely to fight.

The next arrival, however, threatens to upset this fragile balance. Stomping over from the open prairie is a female _Allosaurus._ This is the same one that killed the _Uteodon,_ and she is very hungry. For a moment, the other carnivores stare at her, sizing her up. Eventually, though, their aggression fades, and the allosaur moves in to begin eating. She is cautious to avoid the ceratosaurs, though. Even though killing their offspring would boost the chances of any young she has in the future, it is unlikely she will be able to defeat both of their parents. Just this once, the juveniles are safe from her wrath.

Yet the peace is not to last. A loud bellow fills the air, and all of the gathered predators turn their attention toward its source. Emerging from the forest comes a massive allosaur, one far bigger than even the female, broken jawed _Allosaurus._ This is a female _Epanterias,_ one of the largest of all allosaurs. Only its relative _Saurophaganax_ matches it in terms of size. This type of allosaur is a dying breed - the latter of the two giant allosaurs has been outcompeting it, and now only a couple hundred remain. Despite their rareness, however, they are doing well on an individual basis, as few predators can challenge them and live to tell the tale. None of the predators gathered at the sauropod carcass stand a chance of defeating this giant, and with some reluctance, they all retreat, relinquishing the kill to the giant carnosaur. The female _Allosaurs_ and the ceratosaurs, however, each tear a large chunk of flesh off before retreating, seeking to find a quiet place to further sate their own hunger.

Alone at last, the giant carnosaur digs into her stolen meal.

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In the Sundance Sea, life is mostly the same. The two ichthyosaur species that once shared the waves have been reduced to one, as the _Opthalmosaurus_ have migrated back to Europe. The belemnites are not the only reason they are migrating - it will soon be time for them to breed. Ichthyosaur breeding seasons very not only between species, but even between populations - several pods of _Ophthalmosaurus_ that live in what will one day be England mate and breed year round, while others, like the migrant pod, have a very specific time and place where they will spawn. This pod only has a few months left before theirs will begin.

For the natives of the Sundance Sea, this is of no concern. Aside from a minor decrease in food, no major changes will hit them.

For the _Baptanodon_ pod, life goes on as usual. Though well adapted to hunt fish, these reptiles favored prey are actually squid, which are normally found in deeper waters. By day, they remain in the shallows, safe from predators, but at night, they swim out to the open ocean to pursue the agile cephalopods. This is not without risks - though safe fromthe maws of _Megalneusaurus_ in the shallows, they are still vulnerable to predation by sharks, and unlike the pliosaur, these ancient killers don't need to breathe air. Yet the speed of the ichthyosaurs makes them difficult prey to pursue. Even if the predators can find them, they are unlikely to catch their quarry.

Staying in the shallows also brings the ichthyosaurs into increased contact with long necked plesiosaurs. In addition to _Pantosaurus,_ there are also small groups of _Tatenectes_ living along the coastline, gliding through the waters in search of food. Though plesiosaurs normally hunt prey in open water, the flat sand found along the continental shelf offers another source of food - fishes and invertebrates often flatten themselves in the sediment, either to ambush prey or hide from their own predators. This defense is useless against the plesiosaurs, though, who simply skim through the sand with their snouts, picking out any prey they can find. Even smaller sharks find themselves helpless before the marine reptiles' maws. For the cryptoclidids, it is a feast.

One plesiosaur, however, has become separated from the group. An elderly female, her age has taken its tole on her body, with her joints now stiffer than they were in her youth. She is also ill, as the constant discharge around her eyes can attest to. It is unlikely she will recover from her sickness, given her advanced age.

Unnoticed to her, a male _Megalneusaurus_ is stalking her. This is the same one that devoured the shark when we first enter these waters, and the plesiosaur would make a delicious meal. He must be cautious, though - the female may be in failing health, but she is far more maneuverable than him in the shallows. Fortunately for him, time is on his side - the female will eventually grow too weak to notice him, and then he will strike. All he must do is wait.

Though the majority of these animals are doing quite well at the moment, they are at only a fraction of the former greatness. Once the Sundance Sea cut into the heart of North America, but it has been receding for millions of years, forming vast salt plains across the Morrison area. Eventually, it will dry up completely, forcing the native creatures to migrate or face extinction. Once that time comes, much of North America will remain dry land until the formation of the Western Interior Seaway in the Cretaceous. And when that sea drains at the end of the Age of the Dinosaurs, none shall come to replace it.

All of that, however, is far into the future, and of no concern to these magnificent creatures.

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Two weeks have passed, and the dry season has only gotten worse. Weaker dinosaurs have begun to die off en-mass, as the many dried out corpses on the Morrison plains can attest to. The survivors are forced closer to the water, leaving them more vulnerable to attack. Predators are taking advantage of the weakening herbivores to glut their own bellies, but even they are under stress. For those that are still alive, life will only get harder.

The Diplodocus herd is one of the few groups to be mostly unaffected by the drought. As migrants, they are always searching for more food, and while the heat and lack of water is certainly hard on them, they still handle it quite well. During their migration, only two among the herd have fallen, one to illness, another to age. Their bulk constantly forces them to search for more food, but it also protects them from hardship. Only if they are faced with a truly massive amount of stress will the members of the herd begin to suffer.

Once again, the herd has several followers. This time, it is a herd of stegosaurs. Most of them are Stegosaurus, but there are also a few Hesperosaurus and Alcovasaurus tagging along. A few Camptosaurus are with them as well, unwilling to leave behind their main source of protection. With food now beginning to grow scarce, the herbivores have united on this migration, hoping to find something to sate their aching bellies. Following them are a group of pterosaurs - chiefly Mesadactylus, a type of anurognathid. These pterosaurs are primarily active at night, where they hawk insects out of the air, but some have taken to roosting on the backs of the plated herbivores and the diplodocoids during the day. The large size of the herbivores dissuades other, larger pterosaurs from attacking them.

The herd still has its tail, but for the moment, he is preoccupied. The Torvosaurus has managed to ome across the corpse of an old Hesperosaurs, who recently lost his fight with the heat. Yet while it is certainly an appetizing meal, he has eaten any of it. The reason why is quite obvious: before him is another Torvosaurus, this one a female. She is almost in heat, and the male wishes to court her now so that he will have undisputed access to her once she becomes receptive to mating. The carcass, thus, is offered as a gift. Though it is unlikely she will refuse the meat, whether or not she will become docile to him is another story entirely - the drought is pushing all life to its limits. For now, he will need to stay back and let her feast. Only once she is full will he attempt to court her.

Above, pterosaurs known as Harpactognathus circle the dead stegosaur, waiting for their chance at a meal. Normally ground foragers or, less commonly, hunters of other pterosaurs, these rhamphorhynchids are not averse to carrion, and will gladly help themselves to any meat they can find. Like the male megalosaur, though, they are keeping their distance - they stand no chance of disputing the kill from the female.

Oblivious to the drama behind them, the sauropods march onwards, continuing their search for food.

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Not far away, the female Allosaurus is resting underneath the shade of a tree. Nearby, a trio of Suuwassea fight among each other. Unlike most species of sauropods, these dicraeosaurs live in herds segregated by gender, with males forming small bachelor herds. Only old males travel with females, as they are no longer able to compete for mates. This trio is readying for the wet season, when breeding will begin in earnest. However, they are cautious to avoid the broken jawed carnosaur. A few hours earlier, a fourth dicraeosaur attempted to force its way into the herd, only for the female to ambush the hormone addled sauropod. Now, his corpse lies nearby her resting place, gut torn open.

Suddenly, a loud bellow interrupts the intraspecific combat, whilst also forcing the allosaur to awaken from her rest. Even the migrating diplodocus pause on their trek to see what is happening.

The owner of the call is the female Epanterias. The smell of blood has attracted her to the carcass, which she now seeks to steal. Unfortunately for her, the Diplodocus herd stands in the way of her meal, as does the female allosaur. Undettered, she closes her eyes for a moment, opens them again, then charges the herd, attempting to break through to reach the corpse. Stunned, the herd panics, with some dinosaurs running while others stand their ground. Among them is the sauropod with an injured tail, whom the female charges - he is now the main obstacle to her obtaining the carcass. Panicking, he slams his neck into her, knocking the titanic allosaur onto her side. Rolling to avoid his attempt to flatten her, the carnosaur soon rights herself, before leaping onto his flank and tearing out a sliver of flesh. As the diplodocoid howls in pain, the female swallows her prize, before advancing on the kill. The Allosaurus attempts to defend her meal, only for the larger carnivore to grip the defender's skull with her teeth and twist. The attack does not break the smaller predator's neck, but the pain is enough to convince her to abandon the kill.

Forced to give up her hard earned meal, as well as her shade, the female begins to trudge away. Seeing no other option, she begins to pursue the herd, looking for signs of weakness. She is not yet hungry, but eventually, she will be forced to kill again. Briefly, her vision centers on the injured Diplodocus, who has trudged back to the center of his herd. Now he is in real danger - if his wound becomes infected, it is unlikely he will survive the dry season. All he can do now is attempt to endure until it heals.

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Many hundreds of miles away, the Ophthalmosaurus pod has at last reached Europe. They have arrived at what will one day be the Oxford Clay, and here, too, are marine reptiles. Unlike in North America, however, the principal predators of this ecosystem are not pliosaurs, though they are still fairly common. Instead, the main killers in this environment are marine crocodiles, which are rare in the Nearctic Realm. Here, however, more than a dozne species coexist, among them the mighty Torvoneustes, one of which is pursuing a native ophthalmosaur. Caught in shallow water during the daylight, the ichthyosaur is soon cut down. The carnivore quickly tears his prey apart, and soon, he is joined by another predator: the pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus. Normally nocturnal, these ones have been forced awake by a storm, and now they are trying to get a quick meal before they return to resting. As their needle like teeth and small size preclude them from taking large bites, they must attempt to steal the scraps of the thalattosuchian's kill. Even then, though, they will not be able to feast for long - the smell of blood has attracted a native pliosaur to the kill. It is the most famous of all pliosaurs, Liopleurodon, and it only takes this female one bite to scarf down the marine crocodile's kill.

On a nearby set of islands, dinosaurs are going about their daily lives. Here, too, are familiar sights, those of stegosaurs, ornithopods, and sauropods. Represented, respectively, by the stegosaur Dacentrus, the ornithopod Cumnoria, and the brachiosaur Duriatitan, these are among the few dinosaurs that can survive in this region, and even then, the differences between their cousins in America are noticeable. As most of Europe is a set of Islands, dinosaurs here are smaller than in other parts of the world, and they are at the mercy of mighty marine reptiles that call this land home. Even the sauropods are forced to keep their distance from the shoreline lest they be attacked by pliosaurs, such as this unlucky Simolestes. Having mistimed leap, he is now forced to try and heave himself back into the water.

At the treeline, a trio of crested, feathered carnivores are feeding on the remains of a stegosaur. These are Juratyrant, and though it may sound surprising, these are actually tyrannosaurs. The most common large predator in the region, these killers are the dominant hunters on land. One day, their kind will conquer the entirety of the Northern hemisphere, but for now, they only rule in isolation. It will be millions of years before they grow large enough to oust the carnosaurs and spinosaurs from power.

In a nearby bush, a strange duo of theropods watch the tyrants squabble. Though one appears to have a classic theropod build, the other is more raptor-like, yet has very well developed feathers. This former of the two is a Compsognathus, while the latter is an Archaeopteryx, the first bird. These two species have only recent evolved, and these individuals, along with a few others of their kind, are recent arrivals, blown in by a storm. Normally, they would be fighting, but the sight of the carcass is enough to force a temporary truce. The tiny predators stand no chance of forcing off the tyrannosaurs, but they are more than capable of waiting them out. Once the giants are gone, it will be their turn to feast.

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Back in North America, another two weeks have passed. The herd has moved ever onwards, consuming all that they can. Many stagnant pools now lie empty, drained by the giants on their endless travels. Their followers, both predator and prey, are still with them, unwilling to leave the giants that are either a source of protection or a source of food. The wounded sauropod's flank has healed, and he is still in good health, so for now, it appears he is safe, but that is still liable to change. Nearby, the female Allosaurus is watching him, looking for a new meal. Though she has eaten well, she has still lost some weight, owing to how much she has been forced to travel.

Suddenly, a familiar howl fills the air. The female allosaur barely has time to turn before the hulking form of the female Epanterias slams into her, slamming her into the ground. Rolling to avoid the follow up attack, the smaller allosaur hisses at her assailant. Normally, predators do not attack each other, but among the herd's followers, the female allosaur is the most exposed, ad thus the easiest to kill. Easy is a relative term here, though, as the Epanterias soon finds out. Her prey soon retaliates, striking her across the flank with her claws, leaving deep gashes. Undeterred, the larger carnosaur presses her assault, and succeeds in toppling the female once more. The broken jawed Allosaurus will not die so easily, however, and kicks her foe with both of her legs, toppling the giant carnivore. Hastily recovering, the Epanterias only has a moment to stare before she is bitten across the face by her prey, causing her to cry out in pain. Enraged, she uses her claws to rake her foe's sides, before knocking the smaller predator to the ground and locking her teeth against the Allosaurus' neck.

Unfortunately, her determination to kill her prey has blinded her to her surroundings, and she has wandered right up to the Diplodocus she injured tow weeks prior. Unwilling to allow the predator the chance to harm him, the sauropod shifts all his weight to his left flank and slams into the large allosaur, sending it flying and unintentionally freeing the smaller carnivore. Before the Epanterias can recover, the male then proceeds to move his tail for a follow-up attack. While his tail is still not at full length, the larger predator is close enough that it doesn't matter. A crunch soon fills their, followed by the pained howls of a dying giant.

The blow has cracked three ribs and crushed the carnosaur's spinal column. She is now paralyzed from the middle of her ribs down, and unable to defend herself from harm. Desperately, she tries to drag herself off the plains, only for the female allosaur to walk up to her. The smaller predator stares at the giant for a moment, before swiftly tearing open her foe's wind pipe. Soon, she is gorging on the remains of the giant. The herd stares for a moment, then begins to move on.

As the female at last becomes full, a new scent fills her nostrils. Turning toward it, she finds herself staring at another Allosaurus, this one a male. This individual has clearly taken a beating - among other injuries are deep gashes on his side, a ripped right thumb claw, and most peculiar of all, a swollen middle tow. The female Allosaur stares at the new arrival for a moment, before quickly abandoning the carcass - it is not large enough to be worth fighting for, even against an obviously weak foe. Seeing no danger, the male allosaur quickly begins to dig into the carcass. He is starving, and this meal may have saved him from certain death. Yet unless he can find water, this meal will only do him so much good.

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One week has passed, and over the Sundance Sea, clouds have begun to gather. Storms are beginning to form, and with them comes the end of the dry season. The animals closest to the shoreline, sensing danger, retreat further out to sea, lest they be disoriented and beached in the coming hours. In particular, the male Megalneusaurus quickly begins descending to deeper waters, where he will have an easier time outrunning the storm.

As the rains arrive, their effect on the parched landscape is instantaneous: plants that have withered in the drought begin to open up once more, while animals seeking shelter from the heat begin to become active again. The Diplodocus herd briefly lift their heads up from a water hole to stare at the clouds, as does the female Allosaurus. Joining them are two rarities in the Morrison region: the coelurosaurs Stokesosaurus and Koparion. The former is a relative of Juratyrant, the latter a troodontid. Both are rare sights in this age, but they are merely precursors to the killers to come in the Cretaceous.

Even they, however, pale in comparison to another dinosaur that has come to bask in the water. Emerging from the treeline is the mighty Brachiosaurus, tallest herbivore in the region. Free from the need to hide from the heat, the hberibovres trudge toward the watering hole, where, at last, they can quench their thirst. Now, at last, life returns to normal.

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Though the giant dinosaurs are mostly extinct now, among them the sauropods, one group managed to escape extinction, and they are all around us. ANd in the next chapter, we will focus on how those dinosaurs came to dominate the skies.

(Shot of a feathered dinosaur darting through the air).

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 **AN: Look, please don't complain about the wait. My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago and I'm still not completely oaky, even if I came to terms with that rather quickly.**

 **Oh, and guess who cameoed in this chapter from the original series.**

 **So, read and review. This is Flameal1k5, signing off.**


	4. Spirits of the Frozen Forest

The sun rises over a quiet forest. Much of the land is covered in snow. At the moment, the land is lifeless, but this simple sunrise marks the beginning of an extraordinary year in the age of the dinosaurs.

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It is the beginning of a time known as the Cretaceous. The continuous movement of the continents has not only changed the shape of the Earth, it has also altered the weather. For the first time in Earth's history since the Early Permian, Snow has begun to fall during the winter. Nowhere is this more apparent than here, in what will one day be Liaoning, China. This region is home to numerous active volcanos, yet during the winter, the land seems to freeze over. Winter has at last come to an end, however, and now, life is beginning to return to the forest.

Among the first to awaken are a good pack of Sinovenator, a type of troodontid. These small omnivores are among the most common creatures in the region, and after a few months of cold, they are looking forward to warmer, more plentiful days. Their feathery coats help keep them warm during the winter months, but the season was still harsh for them, and now, they need to regain their strength.

Emerging from the underbrush is another feathered dinosaur. This one, however, is a predator - Sinornithosaurus. Though also a maniraptorid, this one is a dromaeosaur, and he is hungry. Fortunately for the pack, he has no interest in hunting them - his mind is focused on other targets. The forest floor is littered with the remains of those who did not survive the winter, among them an oviraptorid known as Caudipteryx. This is the true target of the Sinornithosaurus, and he will gladly exploit this meal while he still can. Soon, other, larger carnivores will arrive to partake in this feast.

It is not long before other animals begin to awaken. First to emerge is a clan of Jeholosaurus, a type of ornithopod. With plants beginning to grow again, they are once more on the prowl for food. They are followed by a far stranger creature: a squat armored dinosaur known as Liaoningosaurus. Instead of feasting on the nearby plants, however, this herbivore keeps on moving, until she has reached a nearby lake, whose surface has finally thawed. After a moment of hesitation, the ankylosaur dives into the water. Liaoningosaurus is unique among its kind in that it is adapted to live primarily in lakes. Stranger still, it is a piscivore - though it does feast on aquatic plants, the main part of its diet is fish.

Last to emerge is a furry mammal. Known as Repenomus, it is one of the largest mammals of this time, and the largest in the area. Unlike many of his relatives, he is a hunter, and he feeds on baby dinosaurs. With that source of food currently unavailable, though, he is forced to begin searching for lizards or smaller mammals to date his voracious belly. Despite his size and voracious appearance, he must still be cautious - even against Sinornithosaurus, he stands little chance of winning.

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A few days pass, and slowly, the forest begins to thaw. With the rising temperatures, plants begin to grow again, and frozen carcasses are once more edible. The natives of the forest are already hard at work to exploit this bounty, because it will not be theirs for long. The mild summer temperatures will bring migrants from far and wide, and it is only a matter of time before the forest's permanent residents will be forced to cede much of their home to the new arrivals.

The Sinovenator pack has hit a lucky break - they have found the carcass of a Bolong, a type of iguanodont. Freshly thawed, it is a veritable feast for the pack, and the nearby fruit only increases the value of the meal. Joining them are the male Repenomamus and Sinornithosaurus, as well as another permanent resident of the forest: Haopterus, a pterosaur. An ornithocheirid, she would normally be swimming through lakes in search of food, but she will not turn down a good meal when she sees one. Though she towers over the dinosaurs already digging into the carcass, they pay her no mind - there is plenty to go around.

The truce around the carcass is shattered, however, the sound of crushed wood. Instantly, the assembled carnivores scatter, and just in time - emerging from the shadows is an enormous feathered carnivore, who roars loudly at the retreating creatures. This is a female Yutyrannus, and she is hungry. As her name suggests, she is a member of the tyrannosaur family, and she is the first of her kind to hold the title of apex predator. In this instance, though, she has no interest in pursuing the retreating carnivores - they are too small to be a good meal. Her charge was meant to scatter them, so that she could have the carcass all to herself. Yutyrannus are the largest permanent residents of the forest, and even then, only a few can afford to stay the winter - most migrate with their prey. Just like the other forest animals, this female must exploit the summer bounty as best she can before winter returns.

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As spring drags on, the land comes to life. Pterosaurs driven south by the cold now return to their summer roosts, and the forest is filled with unfamiliar cries. These unusual calls herald the arrival of the largest of all the summer migrants: Dongebeititan.

These sauropods, line their ancestors in the Jurassic, are forced to eternally migrate in search of food. Yet there is another reason they are migrating - the volcanoes in this region keep the soil at just the right temperature to incubate these titanosaurs' eggs, making the forest an ideal nesting site. Having mated in the winter, many of the females are already laden with eggs, and will soon seek out firm soil to lay them in, and in doing so, perpetuate their species. Joining these titans are smaller herbivores, such as Jinzhousaurus and Psittacosaurus, who follow the titans for protection. Few predators dare approach the titanosaurs, and even the Yutyrannus that tail them rarely move to attack the giants.

The presence of the titanosaurs does not deter the Sinornithosaurus, nor does it discourage the Sinovenator. Though they refuse to attack the herbivores, from the cover of the forest, they watch the giants pass by. Though the largest animal either carnivore could expect to overtake is an adult Psittacosaurus, both species know that the herbivores will soon lay their eggs, and those, along with hatchlings, are always on the menu. For now, though, they retreat to the shadows and bide their time. Fortune may favor the bold, but it also favors the patient.

Oblivious to the presence of their watchers, the herbivores continue their march.

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Within the heart of the forest, the permanent residents are hard at work. Spring is the time for nest building, and having mated with the vernal equinox, the females are now laden with eggs. For these small dinosaurs, nesting is a communal effort, with the dominant individuals nests jgbat the center the area, in this case a thicket, while their subordinates nest around them. Nearby, the male Sinornithosaurus is making a nest of his own. Unlike the troodontids and the Jeholosaurus, who are nesting further away, the dromaeosaur has yet to mate. In fact, females do not breed with males until the potential suitors have built nests, for like the bower birds of modern day Africa, the appearance of the nest is a key factor to whether or not they will mate with the male.

Hidden under a log, the male Repenomamus watched the nest building with acute interest. Dinosaur hatchlings are the primary component of his diet in the summer months, and these nests will likely be one of his major sources of food. However, many of these nests will never house eggs, instead acting as decoys for the real ones. This, he is watching to see which ones will have eggs in them, so as to save himself the effort of determining their nature in the future. He is forced to retreat deeper into the log, however, as a female Sinornithosaurus approaches. The predator pays him no mind, though - she is more interested in the male and his nest. She is in heat, and has come in search of a mate.

Instantly, the male is up and active. Females are not uncommon in the forest, but this one is fit, well muscled, and mostly parasite free, all traits of a healthy raptor. If he mates with her, there is a strong chance at least some of their offspring will survive to adulthood. Once she is close enough, the female begins to inspect the nest, looking for any weaknesses that could allow predators to intrude upon the eggs and offspring. Finding none, she turns her attention to the male. Instantly, he begins strutting about, waving his wings and tail. This is a mating dance, meant to show off the male's fitness. Only if he meets the female's standards will she mate with him. Fortunately for this male, his potential mate feels that he has passed this test.

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The natives are not the only ones nesting - in a nearby clearing, the Dongbeititan are already starting to lay their eggs. These giants mate in their winter feeding grounds, as the females need far longer for their eggs to become suitable for laying. Even then, a few are released from their mothers malformed, unable to ever hatch. The females instinctively move these to the edge of the nesting grounds, in order to protect the rest of their clutches from egg thieves. It only takes minutes for the first of these thieves to arrive: egg eating mammals. Chief among them is the male Repenomamus - his size allows him to force other mammals away from the eggs, ensuing he gets first choice among the nest raiders. Even he, however, must be quick to secure his meal, lest he fall prey to other, larger carnivores.

Among those creatures the pterosaur Boreopterus. Normally, these pterosaurs use their beaks to catch small animals in the lakes and ponds of the area, like modern spoonbills, but this quartet of females will not turn down such an easy feast, and they are far too large for any mammal to deter. Reluctantly, the giant mammal retreats, one egg in his maw, to find a place to enjoy his meal in peace.

Suddenly, a red, feathery creature darts forth from the underbrush. It is on one of the pterosaurs in moments, and barely three seconds pass before the reptile's body goes limp, neck broken. The rest of the egg eaters scatter, desperately seeking shelter. Soon, the tiny battlefield grows silent.

The attacker is a female Sinocalliopteryx. Her kind are the largest of the compsognathids, towering over many of the native predators, even the native raptors. Though she was attracted to the area by the smell of eggs, the pterosaur is a far more nutritious meal, and one she wil greedily exploit. Already, she is tearing into the carcass, ripping muscle from bone. Only when she is finished will the egg eaters return, lest they find themselves her next meal.

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As the sun begins to set, the female Yutyrannus returns to her lair. This small cave was her home for the winter, and she will fight hard to protect it for the summer - other females are very willing to steal them for their own use.

As she enters the cave, however, an unfamiliar scent fills her nostrils. Instantly, she is on high alert - another tyrannosaur is in her territory, and she will not tolerate an usurper. She lets out a warning cry, hoping to force the intruder to retreat. She will fight if necessary, but she would prefer to conserve her strength.

A moment later, she receives a return cry, and soon, another of her kind emerges from the cave. It is a mature male, and he is carrying the carcass of a Jinzhousaurus in his mouth. Instead of attacking, however, he places the carcass in front of the female, before backing off.

Like all of the forest's other permanent residents, spring is the breeding season for Yutyrannus. This male has tracked down the female to court her. The carcass is a gift, meant both to calm her and as a promise of shared parental duties. The female will eat the carcass regardless of whether or not she accepts the male, but it is unlikely she will reject him - strong males are too rare to pass up.

Said male retreats to the edge of the treeline - he may be roughly the same size as the female, but he knows better than to risk angering her. Better to wait for her to grow calm than incur her ire.

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Weeks later, and the various forest dinosaurs have laid their eggs. Each creature has a different tactic for protecting their nests - Sinovenator never leave their nests unguarded, with either the male or female brooding the eggs at all times. Sinornithosaurus use the same tactic, while Jeholosaurus have sentries watching the nesting grounds at all times, who will throw debris at would be nest raiders, such as an unlucky female Repenomamus. Still, this method is not full proof - inevitably, many of the eggs will be stolen, and of those that hatch, many more shall succumb to predators. If even one hatchling from each clutch survives to adulthood, it will be a good year.

The male Repenomamus watches the dinosaurs brood their eggs for a moment, before deciding to move on - far easier meals can be found nearby, and he knows this. Only a short distance away is a Jinzhousaurus nest, filled to the rim with eggs. The adults are all hard at work watching for egg thieves, but the giant mammal is able to sneak into a nest when an unlucky raptor is spotted, driving the herd into a frenzy. Unnoticed by the group, he steals one of the developing eggs. Fortunately for the parents, it is a malformed one, unlikely to ever hatch, but inevitably, the predator will return to the nest, and when he does, they will not be so lucky. It is likely that many of these nests will be raided in their entirety before the herd leaves. Young animals are the most vulnerable to predators, and until they escape from their eggs, they are completely defenseless.

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In a nearby cave, another Repenomamus has stumbled upon an undefended nest, ripe for the picking. Greedily, he moves in, ready to feast.

Unfortunately, his hunger blinds him to danger until it is too late.

A set of jaws snap shut around the mammal's neck, which quickly begin to shake the mammal around, until its neck is broken. Once its captive is dead, the jaws loosen, allowing the carcass to hit the ground. Cautiously, the carnivore takes a look around, before pinning the dead mammal under his foot and taking a bite.

The culprit of this killing is Dilong, a small variety of tyrannosaur. This predator is a distant relative of Yutyrannus, and just like its large cousin, is a hunter. This male had been watching the mammal for over an hour, biding his time until the small predator was exposed and vulnerable. The nest proved to be a boon to him, as the smaller hunter abandoned all caution once he smelled food.

The smaller tyrannosaur, however, does not make this mistake. After taking another bite out of the carcass, he picks it up and moves away. This is the female Yutyrannus' nest, and already her mate is returning to check on it. Thirst forced him to abandon the eggs, and it is a miracle none were taken. However, he is clearly able to see the signs of the hunt that happened here earlier, and after confirming all of his brood are accounted for, he quickly curls up around the nest, unwilling to abandon it again. The breeding season is over for his kind, and if he cannot defend these eggs, he will have to wait another year before he can breed again.

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A few days alter, and the forest is alive with baby dinosaurs. Many of the eggs have hatched, and the cries of the hatchlings echo through the trees.

For the Sinovenator and Sinornithosaurus, keeping track of their brood is a great concern. Their offspring are self sufficient from the moment they hatch, and while this makes feeding them less of a problem, they also have to make sure their brood does not wonder out of their sight, lest predators snatch them up at a moment's notice. The group living Sinovenator have an easier time doing this than the Sinornithosaurus, who only have two sets of eyes to keep track of their young with. The Jeholosaurus also have very active young to worry about, but with their numbers, it is somewhat easier to keep track of their offspring, while the Yutyrannus couple face the same issues the Sinornithosaurus have.

For the Jinzhosaurus, however, a different problem awaits. Unlike the majority of the herbivores in this forest, their offspring are too weak to leave the nest yet. They must instead be cared for by their parents, and this puts them at greater risk of attack from nest raiders, particularly if their parents are careless. Already, a Caudipteryx has managed to snatch up one hatchling. A group of Sinosauropteryx, which have been watching the Caudipteryx with some envy, are waiting for their chance to snatch up a meal.

They do not have to wait long. Nearby, a herd of Liaceratops as passing by, among them an old female weakened by sickness. Upon sighting her, the preadtors ignore their plans to raid the nest, instead charging the herd. The female only has time to turn before she is surrounded and swiftly cut down by her attackers, who greedily begin to tear into her flesh. The meat from this carcass will last them at least three days, long enough that the ornithopods may yet get careless. Then there will be plenty of opportunities to strike again.

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One month has passed, and the eggs of the titanic sauropods have hatched. The tiny dinosaurs are self sufficient from the minute they break out of their shells, but they still stay close to their parents. The adult's colossal size is a deterrent to all predators, big or small. Additionally, the adults often knock loose leaves as they feast, providing the infants with plenty of fodder to devour. Nearby, carnivores watch the sauropodlets feed, waiting until the adults move on, and opening to strike appears.

Joining the sauropods is one of the forest's polar residents, Beipiaosaurus. This therizinosaur may be small, but it is the largest herbivore that lives in the forest during the winter, and at two point two meters in length, it towers over the hatchlings. Too small to reach treetops, it uses its claws to pull down the leaves of appetizing ferns, though they are also effective tools for digging. The claws are also an effective defensive weapon - even Sinocalliopteryx, which is roughly the same size as Beipaiosaurus, will hesitate to attack these creatures, for fear of injury. Only Yutyrannus can hope to attack these herbivores with impunity.

A disturbance from a nearby lake distracts the sauropods from their feeding, if only for a moment. The cause is the Liaoningosaurus. These ankylosaurs are the only members of their kind (and, indeed, only members among all ornithischians) to develop adaptations for eating meat, and are highly specialized piscivores. Though they can still eat plants, the majority of their summer diet consists of plentiful fish. Only when winter returns will they turn their attention back to leafy foods.

Still, they are not without competition for their summer feasting. They share these waters with the long necked reptile known as Hyphalosaurus. Though clumsy on land, they are graceful simmers, and like the ankylosaurs, are primarily fish eaters. It is not uncommon to see these creatures fight the lightly armored dinosaurs over choice pickings of fish, though neither tends to come out of such bouts too heavily injured. Neither animal is heavily adapted for fighting, and most confrontations come down to displays of strength.

Occasionally, fish appear that neither creature can overcome. Among them is the paddlefish, Protopsephurus. Though not particularly large compared to modern fish, it is roughly the same size as the reptiles it shares its watery home with, making it all but immune to attack. At least, from Hyphalosauurs. Adults Liaoningosaurus, at roughly two meters in length, can still take it down.

At the water's edge, other reptiles are sifting for food. THese are pterosaurs known as Feilongus, and they are filter feeders. They use their specialized beaks to sieve small animals out of the water, allowing them to feast without fear of getting wet. While they are capable swimmers, attempting to take off from the water is difficult for these fliers, and filter feeding is easier when they are standing still. By contrast, Haopterus, a piscivore, is more willing to dive into the nearby lakes in search of food.

Joining the sieving fliers is Moganopterus, a giant of the Yixian formation. At one point four meters in height, it is the largest of the pterosaurs in this region, and must constantly migrate in search of food. Though a filter feeder like the Feilongus, it will also hunt small animals, if it is hungry enough. It's large size serves as a deterrent to attack, as an unlucky Sinocalliopteryx soon finds out. Intimated by the pterosaur's size, it reluctantly backs down and retreats into the forest, looking for an easier meal.

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As the weeks pass by, a huge storm makes its way into the forest. While some dinosaurs continue with their lives, unaffected by the pouring rains, many more are forced to seek shelter. Among them is the Yutyrannus - the rains are too heavy for it to be able to hunt. Many of its prey will bed down until the storm passes, and the sauropods are too large to be vulnerable to attack. Reluctantly, the male and female return to the shelter of their cave, and prepare to wait out the storm.

Joining them are five baby tyrannosaurs - their offspring. For now, they remain within the shelter of the cave, but they can only stay here for so long - eventually, curiosity will fore them out, as will the need to feed. For the moment, though, they will remain inside. Here, there is warmth, and for the moment, food - their parents managed to discover the carcass of an adolescent titanosaurs, felled by disease. Though certainly titanic, the sauropod was still small enough to drag back to the nest, where the tyrant dinosaurs have been feasting on it for the better part of the day.

Not far away, the smaller forest dinosaurs have been forced into the trees. The Sinornithosaurus, Sinovenator, and Jeholosaurus have been forced to climb into the canopy, as the area around their nests have begun to flood. The raptors had no trouble reaching the treetops, being skilled climbers, but the ornithopods were not so lucky. While they have lost no members of their clan, they are stuck on the lower parts of the trees, leaving them dangerously close to the rising water. Furthermore, all of the small dinosaurs may soon find their territories at risk - the flood waters often displace other clans and packs from their territories, and it is likely that invaders will appear as the water levels recede. The native clan and pack must make an effective display if this happens, lest they lose their home for the winter.

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Once the waters have entirely receded, life returns to normal...for the most part. The flood waters have displaced many plants and drowned many animals. With the waters now gone, the forest floor is covered in plant matter and animals corpses, all waiting to decay. With food so plentiful, a truce of sorts is declared between the various forest animals - herbivores graze side by side, making no attempts to evict each other, while carnivores race across the ground, picking up any carcass they can find. There are inherent risks with this behavior, among them the ever present danger for the smaller creatures of being stepped on by their larger contemporaries, but they must exploit every source of food that they can...

Because time is running out.

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Slowly, the weeks pass on, growing shorter and shorter, until finally, day and night are equal in length. Autumn has arrived, and the forest prepares for a freezing winter.

Up and down the forest, the summer migrants begin to move south, searching for warmer lands where they may escape the freeing cold.

Occasionally, these giants can get lost, as is the case with a group of Jinzhosaurus. Somewhat confused by their surroundings, they call out, trying to find their companions. But what for them can be a minor inconvenience, can be life or death for the small dinosaurs. The sounds of the giants crashing through the forest leaves them unaware that the female Yutyrannus is watching them, looking for a meal. Fortunately for them, she has her eyes on a bigger target. Bursting through the undergrowth, she tackles one of the Jinzhousaurus to the ground, pinning it with her claws. The rest of the herbivores scatter as the carnivore sinks her teeth into the herbivore's neck, before swiftly shaking it, snuffing the life out of the ornithopod. The carcass will be her last big kill of the year, so she will need to eat as much of it as possible - she will need all the strength she can get for the winter.

The smaller dinosaurs stare at the killer for a moment, before retreating back into the depths of the forest.

At the lake, the Liaoningosaurus have made their way out of the water, as have the Hyphalosaurus. The dropping temperatures have alerted them to the arrival of the autumn, and they have begun to seek out their winter homes. The Hyphalosaurus will search for a pond heated by the volcanic activity, while the Liaoningosaurus will be forced to spend the winter on land.

As for the Repenomamus, he is retreating toward his burrow. He will not hibernate during the winter, but he will be forced to hunt more often during the day, instead of just being active from dusk to dawn. It will be too cold for him to hunt at night, so he must hunt while the sun is still up, even if that puts him at risk for attack. Now, though, he has hit a lucky break - before him is the carcass of a juvenile Psitaccosaurus. The baby dinosaur likely died of sickness, as its carcass possesses no signs of attack on it. Greedily, the predator snaps up the body in his jaws, before returning to his burrow, where he will eat his meal in peace.

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As the temperature continues to drop, many plants stop growing. Some shed their leaves, others simply go dormant. For the herbivores, the times of plenty are over, and soon, this will be true for the carnivores.

At the Yutyrannus' cave, the juveniles are playfighting over one of the Jinzhousaurus' ribs. Their game is soon interrupted, though, as a flock of black fliers begins to crowd into the cave. These are Vesperopterylus, a type of anurognathid. They are the last of their kind, and as their numbers are decreasing every year, it is likely that, within a few thousand years, they will be extinct. These pterosaurs normally hunt insects at night, but with the temperature dropping, they are forced to seek shelter in the dpeths of the cave, where the tyrannosaurs cannot reach them, nor can any other creature. There, they will hibernate through the winter, safe from predators.

As for the native Haopterus, he is forced to begin searching for land living prey, primarily small mammals, which also leaves him vulnerable to attack from large predators. He will be lucky to last the winter.

The smaller dinosaurs ae also forced to search for other sources of food. For the Sinovenator and Jeholosaurus, this means searching for food near rotting logs. These are home to nutritious fungi, as well as beetle larva similar to woodworms. These will make up the majority of the ornithopods diets, as well as a substantial part of the Sinovenators' food supply. The Sinornithosaurus, already used to searching logs for food, is not affected too much by the falling temperature, but he has his own problems to deal with - he now has a dozen chicks to care for, and it is unlikely that they will all survive the winter.

For a moment, though, all of the forest animals' attentions are taken by something in the sky - a whispy white substance falling to the ground. It is the first snow of the season, and for the forest animals, it is an interesting, and worrying, sight.

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As the days grow shorter, more snow begins to fall. Already, many dinosaurs are facing trouble due to the crystalized water. The rising snow has made it harder to walk for many of the smaller animals in this forest, and when they do move through the undergrowth, their footfalls are loud, making stealth almost impossible. The chilled ground also makes it difficult to stay warm, and many creatures have already frozen to death.

For the Jeholosaurus, there is an easy source of relief from the cold - the herbivores are capable diggers, and have already excavated a sizeable network of burrows to survive the winter within. Joining them are the Sinovenator and, surprisingly, the Sinornithosaurus. These creatures normally do not associate with the ornithopods, but the cold forces them into alliance. Until the winter begins to thaw, they wwill not attempt to predate their companions, instead acting as lookouts for the burrowing dinosaurs, and in exchange, they may share in the comfortable warmth their warrens provide.

Even stranger is that they are not the only creatures who will share burrows with the plant eaters. The male Repenomamus, finding his own burrow to be too shallow, has also joined the herbivores for the winter. The need to survive the polar winter outweighs normal grievances, and summer rivals are swiftly turned into winter allies. Whether or not these alliances will hold, however, is another question entirely.

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As the winter drags on, food becomes increasingly scarce. Much of the edible plant life has frozen over, forcing dinosuars to search for other sources of foo. Seeds from the trees and ferns are the most common sources of food for plant eaters, and the Jeholosaurus soon find themselves competing with oviraptorids for a particularly rich seed filled clearing. Nearby, the Sinovenator and Sinornithosaurus watch the bird-like dinosaurs with hungry eyes, waiting to see if the ornithopods manage, by accident, to create opening for them to strike. Hidden behind trees, the female Yutyrannus is also watching the scuffle - she is curious to see what will happen. Eventually, though, thirst forces her to abandon the confrontation, with the combatants never even knowing she was there.

As winter drags on, these confrontations will become more and more frequent, as the scarcity of food will force many animals into conflict with one another.

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High above the drama on the forest floor, many small animals dart through the tree tops, searching for their own food. There are still plenty of wood boring insects active during these months, allowing the canopy to remain filled with life, though not on the same level as in summer. Most common up here are small mammals like Eomaia and Yanoconodon, who can move around the tree trunks and branches with more freedom than they could on the ground. Here, predators are not as common, allowing them to be active for the majority of the day. Though primarily after insects, it is not uncommon for the mammals to prey on lizards, or even one another.

Joining these small mammals is another type of dinosaur - the birds. Among the most common are Confuciusornis, Liaoningornis, and Jixiangornis. Their smaller size allow them to live among the trees, something that is simply not possible for most pterosaurs. Only the Vesperopterylus can lay came to the tree tops, and those are a dying breed. Still, birds have a long way to go before they can claim dominance to the skies, and will not be able to claim aerial supremacy for another sixty million years, when the pterosaurs die out, along with all non-avian dinosaurs.

A sudden bout of screeching breaks the relative silence of the canopy. An Eomaia has gotten into a scuffle with a Confuciusornis over a particularly appetizing beetle. Neither animal is willing to back down, and when displaying fails to intimidate either of the combatants, a small scuffle breaks out. It is not to last, though - a shadow suddenly falls over both creatures, which swiftly abandon the insect. Instantly, alarm cries go out, but for one unlucky Eoenantiornis, they are too late. A pari of clawed feet dig into its shoulders, while a set of jaws full of sharp teeth clamp around its neck. Only a few seconds pass before it is over.

The killer is the male Sinornithosaurus. Due to his large wing feathers, he can glide through the forest, though true flight is beyond his reach. Normally, he uses his gliding skills to attack ground-living prey, but he will take what he can get...especially in a time like this.

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As the heart of winter reaches the forest, the natives are forced to go far in search of food. The need to eat drives them toward one of the forest's largest lakes. Kept warm by volcanic activity, it is the only places where plants still continue to grow. Here, there is plenty to eat, but the risk of attack is incredibly high. Between the smaller animals of the forest, a truce is declared as they comb the banks of the lake for food. However, some are not willing to share. A female Beipaiosaurus has drawn herself into conflict with the female Liaoningosaurus over a choice patch of fungus, and she is not willing to back down. Initially, the two herbivores attempt to drive each other off with hoots and howls, but when that fails to work, the only option remaining is to stand and fight.

The ankylosaur is first to strike, and manage to wound her opponent with a well placed blow from her tail. The therizinosaur is swift to recover, though, and retaliates by raking her claws along the armored dinosaur's front right leg. Surprised, she counters with a charge, and manages to hit the theropod's gut wither shoulder. However, she is swiftly flipped over by the clawed dinosaur's returning strike, leaving her defenseless.

Suddenly, a huge form crashes through the undergrowth. In moments, it knocks over the Beipaiosaurus, before lifting her into the air and shaking her until the theropod is dead. The rest of the animals in the forest scatter, with the Liaoningosaurus managing to right herself and dive into the water before the predator can notice her.

Briefly, the female Yutyrannus stares at the retreating herbivore, before returning her attention to the therizinosaur carcass. Nearby, her young are emerging from the undergrowth. Miraculously, all five have survived so far. At this rate, it is likely all of them will live to see their first year.

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Thousands of miles to the east, a very different story of life is playing out. Here, in what will one day be Utah, a different cast goes about their lives.

Among the most common animals in the region are iguanodonts. The most common are Hippodraco and Iguanacolossus, yet here, it is possible to find one of the most famous of all dinosaurs - Iguanodon. This particular species, however, is unique in that it has a sail on its back, unlike its European relatives. Also cmmon is this region are ankylosaurs, primarily the nodosaur Gastonia. These dinosaurs often associate with the iguanodonts, in much the same way Stegosaurus used to associate with Camptosaurus.

Here, however, there is one big difference among the herbivores. Unlike in the forests of China, year round, these lands are dominated by sauropods.

The most common in the region are Mierosaurs and Moabosaurus, each similar in size to the earlier sauropod Camarasaurus. These creatures, however, are far outclassed by the largest dinosaur in the region: Cedarosaurus. One of the last brachiosaurs, these dinosaurs tower over their contemporaries, and adults are immune to attack. The same cannot be said about their young, however. This is why the juveniles stay in the center of the herd, where they are mostly immune to attack.

Already, they are under observation from predators.

Staring at the herd is raptor dinosaur. Though similar in appearance to Sinornithosaurus, this dinosaur is mostly yellow in color, except for the white feathers on its wings and the red markings on its face. Additionally, it is almost twenty feet in length, and weighs almost a ton. This is Utahraptor, one of the largest raptors to ever live. Warily, it eyes the various herbivores before it, trying to pick out a meal. Its attention soon settles on one of the sauropods, an adult Moabosaurus that has made the mistake of isolating itself from the herd. Such a large animal is too dangerous for one raptor to attack, though.

Utahraptor do not hunt alone, however.

Nearby, hidden behind a clump of ferns, a second Utahraptor is zeroing in on the herbivore, edging as close as it can without being noticed. A large log conceals a third killer, while a fourth hides behind the dried bones of an Iguanacolossus. All are waiting for the moment to strike.

They do not have to wait long.

The male on the hill charges, racing toward the isolated sauropod. He hisses and growls at it, deliberately forgoing stealth in order to get the herbivore running - the open terrain is not favorable for the raptors, so getting the herbivore to flee is in his best interests. He is lucky - the sauropod realizes that he is too exposed without his herd, and begins charging toward them, putting himself on an intercept course with the rest of the pack.

As he passes by the clump of ferns, the second male emerges, heading him off, and forcing him to turn left. This puts him on collision course with the female hidden behind the log, forcing him to turn once more, finally putting him back on track with his herd...and on a path that passes right by the iguanodont's skeleton. This time, though, the raptor hidden behind the bones does not his at him. Instead, she leaps onto his back and digs her killing claws into his side, before beginning to rip and tear into his flank with her hand claws and teeth. Soon, she is joined by the remainder of her pack, who savage the animal's vulnerable sides, slicing open great incisions onto his skin and muscle. Eventually, shock and blood loss overwhelm the giant dinosaur, and he collapses, dead. The raptors greedily dig in, occasionally snapping at each other when one animal tries to still another's portions.

Nearby, a multituberculate mammal known as Cedaromys, waits patiently for the predators to eat their fill. While not a scavenger by nature, it will not turn down a fresh meal when it sees one.

This is perhaps the first, and only, time in Earth's history that raptors will rule as the dominant predators, and their time is fleeting. Soon, the carnosaurs will force them back into the shadows. Giant raptors, however, will be very successful predators, and will live all the way until the end of the Cretaceous era, while the carnosaurs are doomed to go extinct at the beginning of the late Cretaceous.

All this is of no concern to the giant raptors, however. All that matters to them is survival.

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Months later, in China, the seasons have changed, and once again the forest begins to thaw. Against the odds, many of last years hatchlings have made it through their first winter, and are now far more likely to make it to adulthood. Among the survivors are all of the Sinornithosaurus and Yutyrannus chicks, who are now tearing into the carcasses of animals that fell to the cold.

Despite their spectacular success, these animals are unlikely survive for more than a few generations. Constant volcanic activity means that these forests often face volcanic eruptions, which could snuff out all life in the forest. Even if that does not kill off these dinosaurs, the ceaseless movement of the continents will eventually spell doom for these creatures. This landscape will eventually dry up and become desert, and when it disappears, so will the magnificent dinosaurs that call it home.

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Hundreds of millions of miles away, between Mars and Jupiter, lies a huge rings of debris. Called asteroids, these combinations of rock and metal are leftovers from when the solar system formed. Though rare, these celestial debris can collide with each other, sending both bodies hurtling off into space. Just now, one of them has already been sent hurtling by another. This one, however, is unique. It is twelve point five kilometers in length, filled with iridium...

And it is headed toward Earth...

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 **As the continents continued to move, so too did the Earth's climate continue to change. Low lying land was flooded, giving way to shallow seas and swampland. And as we will see in the next program, the largest land carnivore ever took dominance over these watery kingdoms.**

 **(Shot of a sail-backed dinosaur lunging at a sauropod)**


	5. The Sail Backed Pharoh

On the bank of a river lies a mound of dirt and rotting vegetation. Beneath it lies a dozen pill shaped white objects - dinosaur eggs. One of which has begun to hatch. Emerging from the eg is a tiny, sail backed creature. Instinctively, she and the rest of her siblings begin calling out, ask for help to escape their nest.

A huge, carnivorous dinosaur ambles toward the nest. Her large, crocodilian snout sniffs the nest already taking in the odors of the newly hatched dinosaurs. This is a female Spinosaurus, and fortunately for the newborns, she is their mother. She lets out a low, soothing growl to calm her brood, then, as gently as her claws allow, she begins to excavate the nest. As soon as the way is open, her brood begins to crawl out, eager to begin exploring their new world. Nearby, the shape of another spinosaur rests in the shade of a tree. This one is a male, and he is the hatchlings' father. Cautiously, he begins to approach his offspring, carefully to appear submissive around his mate - if the female thinks he is a threat to her young, she will tear him apart.

From the moment they hatch, spinosaurs are hunters, and the young female has already made her first kill - a water beetle that had the misfortune to find itself in shallow water. Spinosaurs already have a basic understanding of how to swim from the minute they are born, allowing them to begin searching for aquatic prey as soon as they leave their eggs. Still, the majority of her siblings are more interested in finding food on solid ground.

Even this nesting area can be dangerous, however. A short distance away, hiding among some ferns, are a trio of Hamadasuchus are watching the nest with hungry eyes, waiting for one of the hatchlings to become separated from its parents. These creatures are not dinosaurs, but are instead a terrestrial variety of crocodilian. Here, they are the most common small carnivore, having taken a role that raptors or noasaurs fulfill in other ecosystems. Though they will not attack while the adults are nearby, the giant predators cannot keep watch forever.

Eventually, the parents decide that their nesting sight is unsafe, and begin to move off. Their brood is quick to follow, and soon, the nest is left abandoned. Scavengers soon descend to search for unhatched eggs or lost hatchlings, unaware that the parents have already eaten any that were present, both to recycle the nutrients and to deny the scavengers their meal.

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It is now the middle of the Cretaceous period, and the world has changed significantly. Much of the world is more temperate, with season beyond wet in dry being the rule, rather than the exception. Here in Africa, however, wet and dry seasons still reign supreme **(An:pun somewhat intended),** but here, the rains have utterly transformed the landscape. Much of Northern Africa is covered in swampland, and here especially, it has altered the food web - in this region, there are very few herbivorous dinosaurs. The majority of the carnivorous dinosaurs here feed on fish, crocodilians...or each other. In this landscape, small animals do not last long, so the young spinosaurs must grow fast, or die young.

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The parents and their brood bring their trek to a halt upon finding a shallow pool. It is too small for crocodiles to hide in, but still large enough to hold a few fish perfectly sized for the hatchlings to feed upon. With no prey in sight, the parents are forced to take turns between watching their young and moving to deeper waters to feed. As for their offspring, though food may be present, catching it is no easy task. Fish can swim away, while arthropods can flee using their speed, or stand and fight. Two of the youngsters work together to overwhelm a scorpion, while the young female snatches up a fish. Once the tiny predators have caught and killed their prey, they face a new challenge: eating it. Spinosaurs have long, pointed teeth designed for catching slimy creatures like fish, but these teeth have no serrations on them, forcing the predators to find other way to cut up their meals. Some simply swallow their food whole, while others use their claws to tear off edible chunks. Others still use their heads to throw their meals around, shaking out edible morsels.

It is not long before the hatchlings have filled their bellies, and bed down to rest, tired by their exertions.

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A few hours later, and the father has left to search for prey, leaving his mate to watch the young. The brood mills about as the female patrols the shoreline, watching for predators.

Unfortunately, she is not looking up.

Hurtling down from the skies is an Alanqa, a type of azhdarchid pterosaur. His kind are recent arrivals in the age of dinosaurs, and are still rather small at the moment, but in time, they will grow titanic. Normally, he would be searching for clams among the banks of lakes and rivers, but he is also a terrestrial hunter, and he will not turn down easy prey when he can spot it. Zeroing in on his target, he lands two meters away from a trio of hatchlings and begins to race toward them. The eldest of the trio, the first female to break out of her egg (and, indeed, the first of all her siblings to break free), goes right, one of her brothers goes straight toward the water, while the last of the trio, one of her sisters, goes left. Unfortunately for the younger female, the pterosaur has decided to go after her. With a quick snap of his beak, he has her trapped. He quickly lift his head up and swallows her whole, before leaping into the sky. The mother has noticed him, but she is too late to save her child - Spinosaurus have extremely short legs, and can barely walk, much less run. All she can do is howl in anguish.

Hours later, when her mate has returned, the spinosaurs search for a safe spot to bed down for the night. The young seek shelter around their giant parents, but are careful to avoid moving too close to the giant adults - errant movement in the predators' sleep could crush their offspring. A temporary nest is erected, which the young swiftly occupy. Safe in the presence of their parents, they soon fall asleep.

Though the adults offer their young protection from virtually all threats, that protection is fleeting - unlike coelurosaurs, spinosaurs only provide few months of care for their offspring. After that, they will abandon their young to fend for themselves. Food is a major factor behind this lack of parental care - adult spinosaurs prefer much wetter environments than their offspring, and caring for their young forces them into environments that simply lack the prey needed to sustain such large predators. They will protect their young for a few more months, but then, hunger will force them to abandon their offspring. From their, the little dinosaur's survival will depend entirely on their own skills.

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A year later, and there is no trace of the spinosaur family - the parents have abandoned their nest, with most of their young either dead or living on their own. One spinosaur, however, still occupies the area - the eldest juvenile female. Now a yearling, she is already the size of a saltwater crocodile, but still has many years of growing ahead of her before she will be sexually mature. She has already made a kill today - a giant bichir know a Bawitius. Though the fish is almost as large as she is, it was no match for her teeth and claws. Already, she has torn the fish open and is picking its carcass clean. It will still be some time before she is large enough to swallow such large fish whole.

In a nearby lake, watching the spinosaur with cautious curiosity, is a Laganosuchus. This is one of the largest crocodiles in the region, but the spinosaur has no reason to fear this predator - it is a filter feeder. More common and well known than its relative Stomatosuchus, this crocodilian is on the lower end of the region's food chain, feeding primarily on fish and plankton, with the occasional dinosaur or smaller crocodilian finding its way into the carnivore's maw. Though the female spinosaur is well within his favored prey range, he dares not attack her on land - he is too slow to reach her on foot.

Soon enough, the female will grow too large to be preyed upon by this predator. IF she lives to adulthood, she will be all but immune to attack.

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Another year has passed, and the female has grown large still. She is now weighs in at one ton, and is now the size of a stallion. Old enemies, such as Hamadasuchus and Alanqa, are no longer threats to her. Heaving just finished a large meal, she seeks shelter in the shade of a nearby tree. As soon as she is in the shade, blood rushes through her sail, where it cools down, lower her overall body temperature. Spinosaurs' sails have been one of their biggest keys successes in their long evolutionary history, as they allow the carnivores to regulate their body temperatures more effectively than many other dinosaurs. It is one of the reasons why spinosaurs have few, if any, feathers on their bodies, as they simply do not need them.

As the female prepares to sleep, movement catches her eye. Hidden underneath the cover of mangrove roots, an abelisaur has just killed an Alanqa. These short armed predators are vaguely similar to tyrannosaurs, but are much smaller than the tyrants dinosaurs, with shorter skulls and even stubbier arms. Here, they are the most common medium sized carnivores, a role fulfilled by raptors in the remnants of Laurasia. Though normally accustomed to feasting on herbivorous dinosaurs, here, they subsist on a diet of pterosaurs, crocodilians, and other predatory dinosaurs. These are not the best pickings, though, and fights over food are fairly common.

Another abelisaur has noticed the first, and it wants the dead pterosaur. The owner of the kill, however, will not give it up without a fight. The two predators initially attempt to ward each other off with howls and displays, but it soon becomes apparent that neither will abandon the kill. With no other options available, they attack, biting and ramming each other, each trying to dissuade the other from the kill. The spinosaur watches the battle, completely uncaring of the outcome.

Eventually, the challenger collapses, exhausted from the fighting. The owner of the carcass roars in triumph - the kill is still his. As he begin to return to it, though, his opponent manages to stand back up - he has no intention of giving up just yet. Suddenly, a huge blue shape crashes into the challenging abelisaur, its jaws locking around the carnivore's neck. A few minutes of shaking later, and the predator is dead. The defending carnivore snatches its kill and retreats, unwilling to stay in the face of the new arrival.

The culprit of this vicious attack is a Sauroniops. One of two types of carnosaurs in the region, it is the smaller and most common of the two, and it is a ferocious predator. The wounded abelisaur was an easy kill, and will sustain the carnivore for at least a week. His razor sharp teeth quickly tear out a chunk of the ceratosaur's flank, which he swallows in an instant.

Briefly, the female Spinosaurus stares at the carnosaur and his kill. Then, she stands up and heads toward a patch of ferns, cycads, and trees. Though far larger than she sued to be, she is still too small to be immune to attack by this carnivore. Better for her to hide now and wait for the predator to go away.

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Five years have passed since the female Spinosaurus hatched from her egg, and she is now half grown. The abelisaurs that call this delta their home are now too small to be a threat.

Deep within a large stream, the female is after a giant lungfish. Unlike other members of their kind, Spinosaurus become more aquatic as they mature, spending less and less time on land. This is due to the fact that their legs gradually become shorter as they age, making walking a challenge. Eventually, she will spend most of her time in the water, only coming on land to scavenge or move between stagnant pools. Few giant crocodiles live in this region, allowing Spinosaurus to claim the role of apex aquatic predator.

Pressure sensitive spots on her snout alert the female to movement at the water's edge. A herd of Rebbachisaurus has arrived at the banks of the stream, and they are very thirsty. These sauropods are among the region's only native plant eaters, and they are the surprisingly common for sauropods, but even at their greatest, their numbers would be unable to support all the predators in this ecosystem. Indeed, they would have long since gone extinct if they were the only source of prey in the area.

The Spinosaurus stares at the herbivores for a moment, before returning her attention back to the water. The sauropods are not animals she would attack unless motivated by desperation, or if she found a juvenile all on its own - she would risk severe injury to her jaws if she attacked the plant eaters, as her jaws are not meant for tearing flesh. The lack of serrations on her teeth means that she must throw animals around with her jaws to dismember them, or use her claws to pull off chunks that would be small enough to eat. Besides, there are plenty of fish in the lake for her to eat. In particular, a large lung fish has already moved toward her. With a flick of her tail, she is within striking range, and soon, the fish is hers. Catching the fish in her maw, she moves toward the shoreline and prepares to feast.

Suddenly, the wind turns, and with it comes a new scent. Instantly, the herbivores are on the alert, and even the female Spinosaurus stops her feeding to turn toward the source of the odor.

Emerging from the tree line is a bull Carcahrodontosaurus, the largest wholly terrestrial predator in the region. He is thirteen point three meters in length, and weighs in at ten tons. At this point, he is larger than the female spinosaur, and he is very hungry.

Instantly, the herbivores panic and begin running toward the water line. They are too slow to outrun the carnosaur, and their size will do nothing to dissuade him, but they are far better swimmers than he is. Unfortunately, this puts them on a collision course with the female Spinosaurus, who lunges at them in surprise. Barely missing a beat, the herd splits in half, going around the female to reach the safety of the water. Soon, the entire herd is in the water, leaving the carnosaur as the sole creature on the beach.

The carnivore is not concerned by the lack of prey. Nearby is the half buried carcass of one of the sauropods, a victim of old age. Though the carcass has already been eaten by many smaller predators, there is still enough meat left for the lion of the delta.

Half submerged, the female Spinosaurus stares on at the carnivore, never taking her eyes off of him for an instant. Though the two predators normally ignore each other, if he moves too close, she will attempt to attack him.

Fortunately for our female, he keeps his distance.

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Hundreds of miles away, in the Atlantic Ocean, the drama of life moves on, unaffected by the struggles of the dinosaurs.

In the shallows, a Thalassomedon drifts through the ocean, using its long neck to feed on stray fish. Thalassomedon are normally found in the Western Interior Seaway, occupying much of what will become North America, but they occasionally move to other parts of the world in search of migratory fish. This male is part of a small pod of plesiosaurs, though he has wandered some distance away from his companions, and is now dangerously close to the shoreline. Beaching is an extreme danger for these marine reptiles, as the design of their limbs and pelvic bones makes them unable to move on land. Aware of this, the male begins to make his way back toward the open ocean.

Out of the blue, a huge shape darts past him, chasing after a fish. Within seconds it overtakes its target, and soon the fish is being torn to pieces. Bewildered, the plesiosaur retreats, seeking the safety of its pod. The predator takes a moment to stare at the fading form of the long necked marine reptile, before returning its attention to its prey.

The attacker is not a marine reptile - it is a dinosaur. This is an adult male Spinosaurus, and this one in particular is the father of the female we saw earlier. Adult Spinosaurus are too cumbersome to hunt on land, and face competition from crocodiles when living in swamps, so many move out to sea as they age. Here, they can feast on however many fish they desire. Still, they must be careful - in this environment, they still have predators. Pliosaurs patrol these oceans, and they are more than capable of challenging a fully grown Spinosaurus for dominance. Once the male has filled his belly, he'll retreat back to the shoreline, where he will be safe from attack.

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As night falls, the female Spinosaurus moves into a thicket to sleep. The sauropods also begin to bed down, and even the mighty Carcharodontosaurus is forced to find a place to rest for the night. Slowly, life in the delta fades into silence.

Not all creatures sleep through the night, however. Emerging from the shadows is a tiny land living crocodilian, Araripesuchus. This tiny creature is near the bottom of the delta's ecosystem, so he is forced to search for food at night to avoid attacks from predators. With his main enemies now sleeping, he is free to begin his hunt.

Unlike most crocodilians, however, Araripesuchus is not a predator - he is an herbivore, and his main source of food is ferns. Horsetails and other water plants are also among his staples, though he will scavenge if an opportunity presents itself. He has already begun to dig into a juicy patch of ferns, while others of his kind pick away at the meat the Carcharodontosaurus missed when he was tearing up the carcass earlier. Still others search a decomposing log for food - either for mushrooms or beetle larvae attempting to exploit the log for food.

These tiny crocodilians cannot afford to be reckless, however - they are not the only creatures awake at night. Some of the Alanqa that call this area home are also awake, and the small crocodilians are most definitely a part of their menu. The crocodilians must hurry to fill their bellies before the pterosaurs find them.

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Nine years have passed since the female Spinosaurus hatched from her egg, and she is almost fully grown. In a year, she will be mature enough to begin breeding, and after that, she will be ready to live in the open ocean.

Now, however, her most immediate concern is the increase in Carcharodontosaurus numbers - the large predators have been gathering in the swamp, forcing her into active competition with them. The rising water levels have make most encouters favorable for her, but there is only so long that she can last.

The congregation is about to come to an end, however - the reason for their increase has at last arrived.

On the edge of the swamps, a huge herd of sauropods are migrating. These are Paralatitan, the largest sauropod to ever call Africa their home. Normally, they prefer dry land, but they can survive well enough in mangrove swamps, and the recent rains have filled the swamps with vegetation, which fuels the herbivores' need to migrate - they wish to consume the vegetation while it lasts.

It is this massive her that has drawn in the attention of the carnosaurs - only in great numbers can they take down such giants.

The pack spends most of the day looking for sings of weakness, and only when the sun begins to set do they finally determine their target - a subadult female that has wandered away from the protection of the herd. They sneak as close as they can to her, then begin their assault. The female only knows she is in danger when one of the predators begins to hammer its jaws into her flank. Another attacks her opposite flank, a third her left hindleg, and a fourth her neck. She manages to break the right leg of the fifth predator, but it is a hollow victory - she has already taken too many wounds. Within minutes, she is dead. Greedily, the predators eat her flesh, then abandon the corpse when they grow full - nothing can hope to drag it away, and it will be many weeks before the carcass is picked clean.

Only once the last carnosaur retreats does the female Spinosaurus approach the carcass. The arrival of the Paralatitan heralds the end of the wet season, and the coming dry season will put all animals to the test. Much of the area will dry out, leaving the female without her primary source of food. She will need to build up her at reserves if she wishes to reach the end of the coming hardships, and even then, survival in not guaranteed.

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Two months late, and the dry season has arrived in force. This year is one of the hottest in the last century, and it has dried out most of the surrounding area. Many fish have died or migrated away, while those that have remained has begun to aestivate, as have most of the crocodilians.

This luxury is not available to the female Spinosaurus, however - she must remain active. Though her sail provides her some relief from the heat, she is still very hungry. With her fish stocks mostly gone, she has been hunting pterosaurs and land living crocodilians for food. These are barely enough to sustain her, and she has already lost half her body fat reserves. The other half will not last he the summer, so she will need to search for a different source of food to last her until the dry season ends. As she is too small to enter the ocean just yet, she must instead migrate to a different area, in hopes of finding more fish.

As she moves inland, she encounters the bull Carcharodontosaurus that was injured attacking the Paralatitan. This is the same male that caused the sauropods to stampede toward her five years earlier, and he is now at the edge of his prime. He has managed to unearth and kill a crocodilian, and is already hard at work tearing it apart. The female only briefly glances at him before moving on - she is not so hungry as to attempt a battle she stands little chance of winning. She merely trudges off, looking for more food.

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Three weeks later, and the female has arrived at the remains of a large stream. He luck appears to have held out, as there are plenty of fish here to feed on. Already, a Rugops, one of the native abelisaurs, has pulled out a large lungfish and begun to devour it. On land, tiny ornithischians nibble at the remaining vegetation, only to be pursued by a land living crocodile. This is Kaprosuchus, the famous 'boar crocodile'. While he mainly hunts small game for food, he is not above scavenging corpses for sustenance.

Warily, the female stares at the water, then gently lowers her snout into the fluid, searching for fish. A moment later, she ahs caught a titanic lungfish, and is already tearing it apart.

Unfortunately, she is not alone.

Only three hundred meters away, a pack of Rugops has arrived at the shoreline. With food so scarce, they have united to try and take down larger game. While the abelisaurs would normally never attack a Spinosaurus of this size, hunger has outweighed caution here. Additionally, with the female now very underweight, the predators see an opportunity to rid themselves of a major of competition. The lone Rugops has already fled - he ahs no intention of sharing his catch.

Noticing the pack's arrival, the female Spinosaurus rears up and hisses at them, attempting to intimidate them. Hunger, however, outweighs fear in this instance, and the pack presses its advance. The female, however, scores first blood, and kills one of the abelisaurs with a well placed claw to the skull. She manages to down another before the rest are on her, a mass of hungry maws attempting to tear her apart. A few manage to get ahold of her sail and inflict savage wounds to it. Ultimately, however, the attack is in vain. The female manages to repel her aggressors, killing a total of five, while another falls into the stream and is torn apart by crocodilians.

Still, the battle has taken its toll. Heavily injured, the female collapses in exhaustion. Still driven by hunger, she butchers and devours her catch, then turns her attention toward the dead abelisaurs. Wherever it came from, meat is still meat.

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Hours later, a horde of Kaprosuchus arrives, attracted by the smell of blood. Before them appear to be six corpses, one larger than the others, and with a sail on its back. Uncaring of the oddity among the carcasses, they begin to dig in. As they approach the largest of the bodies, however, it suddenly begins to move.

The female Spinosaurus is not dead. Not yet, at least. Her bleeding has stopped, and her strength has begun to return to her. She is still very weak, however, and the crocodilians know this. While they focus their attention on the abelisaur carcasses, they never stop looking at the female.

Sooner or later, she will need to sleep, and when that happens, she will be vulnerable.

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Spinosaurus is king of the deltas, but its time is running out. As the continents continue to move, the world will cool down, and the swamps they depend on will disappear. Without the environment they depend on, they will soon go extinct.

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 _ **Although dinosaurs faced many hardships as the Cretaceous came to a close, even at the very end, they were still evolving. Our final episode will show just what that diversity led to.**_

 _ **(Image of a familiar, two fingered, large headed carnivore roaring)**_


	6. Chapter 6: Demise of the Dinosaurs

On the edge of an abandoned mound of earth, an oviraptorid is watching. The mound was once a dinosaur nest, but it has been long abandoned, the season's eggs having already hatched. The predator is not deterred, however - the nest may lack eggs, but insects are likely to have made it their home, and there is the possibility that lizards and mammals are also hidden within the earth. Any of these creatures would make an excellent meal for this omnivorous dinosaur.

Unfortunately, the possibility of food has blinded this dinosaur's senses to danger. Before it can react, a huge form descends upon it, gigantic jaws locking around the bird-like dinosaur's body. With one bite, the feathered creature is dead. A single gulp is all the larger carnivore needs to swallow its prey. Then, she lets out a mighty roar.

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It is now sixty six million years before the present. The continents have moved to their modern positions, but dinosaurs still remain supreme. Now, however, the world is turning against them - the endless movement of the continents has lead to an increase in volcanism, filling the atmosphere with toxic chemicals, leading to brutal weather, such as acid rain. This extreme form of weather not only kills plants, but damages egg shells and poisons embryos. This has put considerable pressure on the dinosaurs, and many are now endangered species. For now, though, they trudge on, unaware that they are living on borrowed time.

The dinosaurs are still evolving, however, and the past few million years have led to the arrival of the most feared land predator of all - Tyrannosaurus rex. Now the dominant predator of North America, its range extends from what will one day be Canada to the North, to New Mexico in the South. This exposes it to a wide range of food sources, and, in turn, have lead to different tyrannosaur populations developing unique strategies to survive.

The female we saw earlier belongs to one of the Southern Populations, roaming what is now New Mexico in search of food. She is part of a rather large pack, and at roughly eighteen years of age, she is almost fully grown, and is ready to breed. The lack of food, however, is proving to be a problem - with all life under stress from the ceaseless movement of the continents, she has yet to encounter a male ready to breed. So far, she has stuck with her pack, consisting of her parents, two aunts and uncles, and their offspring, but how long that family group will remain intact is now unsure - if the lack of food becomes too great, the pack is likely to disintegrate, or worse stil, resort to cannibalism to survive.

Fortunately, they have caught a lucky break - one of the female's cousins has located the remains of an Alamosaurus, and the pack is swift to dig into the carcass. Nearby, other sauropods mill about, browsing on the trees that have survived the ferocious weather. Alamosaurus is the last of North America's sauropods, but it is also the largest, and adults are immune to attack, even by Tyrannosaurus, whose bone crushing jaws are ill suited to killing sauropods. Due to their resilience to attack by tyrant dinosaurs, Alamosaurus have spread all over the fern prairies and scrubland that make up what will one day be the Southwestern United States, and even now, are incredibly common. Ironically, their huge bulk is helping them through the times of hardship - food remains in their stomachs longer than it does with smaller herbivores, allowing them to gather extra nutrients that other plant eaters might miss from their food.

Joining the long necked herbivores are a herd of Kritosaurus, a type of hadrosaur. Among the most common plant eaters in the region, they are also the primary source of food for Tyrannosaurus living in the area. Though capable of defending themselves via their bulk, they usually graze side by side with the Alamosaurus, in order to deter the tyrant dinosaurs from attacking. As they do not directly compete with each other for food, the sauropods are content to share with the hadrosaurs, exploiting the duck billed dinosaurs' superior senses to keep their young safe from attack.

The hadrosaurs are not the only creatures that live in the shadow of titans. Torosaurus, a ceratopsian, also live side by side with the sauropods, as does a nodosaurian ankylosaur, Glytpodontopelta. Though all capable of defending themselves, these heribovres nevertheless seek out the giant sauropods in order to deter predators from attacking them. However, there is one weakness to this strategy - the sauropods' presence does not deter smaller predators, such as carnivorous pterosaurs, several of which now watch the herd with hungry eyes.

Largest among these is Quetzalcoatlus. With a wingspan of eleven meters, it is the largest pterosaur native to North America, and among the largest to ever live. Unlike most pterosaurs, which prefer to eat fish, fruit, or insects, it is a ground predator, and is fully capable of killing an animal the size of a horse. Juvenile dinosaurs, as well a variety of small theropods that call this area home, are its primary game, though wth food being so scarce, it is often forced to hunter mammals and lizards, as well as scavenge off of larger killers. Right now, several are waiting for the tyrannosaurs to finish eating the carcass, so that they may scavenge choice bits of flesh.

Dinosaurs are not the only animals under stress - the harsh conditions of the world has also lead to a decline in pterosaurs, who increasingly find their niches being filled by birds. That is not to say that they are rare - many species still persist, and some have managed to reclaim their niches from the avians. Even so, in the days to come, pterosaurs will be forced to relinquish their dominion over the skies to the bird, who will be the only dinosaurs to survive until the present.

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Thousands of miles to the North, in a forest in what will one day become Montana, a herd of Triceratops is grazing on low lying ferns. They, too, are prey to Tyrannosaurus, but their size and horns helps to deter the large carnivore. Joining them are a herd of Edmontosaurus, who are browsing on the trees. These forests are too thick for sauropods to inhabit, leaving them absent from the ecosystem. Consequently, the herbivores are on higher alert.

However, tyrannosaurs are not the only creatures they have to fear.

Two feathered forms suddenly dart out of the forest's edge and collide with a sub-adult Triceratops. Within seconds, they are biting are clawing at the herbivore, which desperately attempts to buck them off, only to find heavy claws digging into its sides. Soon, deep gashes cover its flanks, and not longer after that, shock and blood loss takes it toll, and the herbivore collapses, dead.

The attackers are a pair of Dakatoraptor, one of the largest raptors to ever live. Though forced out of their niche as apex predators, giant raptors have managed to become successful midsized predators, allowing them to retain their size in the face of competition with large carnivores. Occasionally, they are forced to fight with sub0adult tyrannosaurs, as both creatures fill the same niche, but raptors still manage to win most of their encounters with the juvenile tyrants. In the coming days, however, even they will face an enemy that cannot be bested.

Unnoticed by the dinosaurs, a mammal watches the feeding raptors from within a nearby stream. This is Didelphodon, a tiny swimmer. Though forced to live in the shadow of dinosaurs, mammals have already diversified into a variety of forms, with Didelphodon fulfilling a niche similar to a river otter. Normally content to feed on fish and underwater invertebrates, the smell of dinosaur flesh is too alluring to pass up. The tiny carnivore will wait for the raptors to leave before attempting to pilfer the carcass, however - he is not match for their ferocious claws. If he tries to steal a bite now, he will likely find himself pinned under one of the raptors' tow claws, then torn apart by their teeth.

Also watching the kill are a group of Pectinodon. These troodontids are omnivores, and the smell of flesh is just as alluring to them as it is to the mammal. They, too, shall wait until their larger relatives leave the carcass before trying to pilfer it.

Troodontids are among the most adaptable of dinosaurs, having incredible night vision and a generalized diet, allowing them to spread all over the world. Now, however, they are about to face a threat even they cannot overcome.

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Far to the east, in what will one day become New Jersey, life goes on.

Here, life is far different from the rest of North America. Though many types of dinosaurs still exist, they are more primitive than their western relatives.

Among these living relics are Hadrosaurus and Hypsibema. Despite the later growing to sizes comparable to the colossal Asian genus Shantungosaurus, both creatures are actually more primitive than either the saurolohine or lambeosaurine hadrosaurs, being more similar to basal hadrosaurs than their western relatives. Living side by side with them are leptoceratopsids and nodosaurs, which, while still native to the rest of North America, are increasingly rare. Even their predators are throwbacks to an ancient time - the top predator of this ecosystem, Dryptosaurus, is another variety of tyrannosaur, but while it still has two fingered hands like its Laurasian relatives, its arms are relatively long for its body size, a trait inherited from earlier tyrannosaurs.

Separated by the Western Interior Seaway for millions of years, were these land masses to reconnect, the American ecosystem would likely be altered beyond recognition. Unfortunately, by the time that happens, the dinosaurs will be long gone.

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Hundreds of miles to the Southeast, a very different cast of characters play out the story of life.

In what is now Madagascar, a male Majungasaurus prowls a river valley in search of food. Though his tiny arms is evocative of tyrannosaurs, he is in fact an abelisaur, a relative of the Rugops we saw in the last program, and thus a descendent of the Ceratosaurus from the third one. Though primitive compared to other dinosaurs, his kind have been very successful, with genera inhabiting South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Antarctica, and even Europe. They live side by side with titanosaurs, making the ecosystems they inhabit a throwback to the Jurassic period, where sauropods and their hunters are the principle animals of the ecosystem.

As he prowls the river valley for food, other animals begin to stir. A group of iguanodonts sate their thirst, cautious to avoid the crocodiles already in the water. The largest sauropod of the region, Rapetosaurus, has already emerged to begin browsing, as have others of his kind. Joining them are the bird Vahiny and the bird-like dinosaur Rahonavis, who either clean the sauropod of parasite or pilfer food from their scraps. The later group occasionally finds themselves competing with the land living crocodilian Simosuchus, who are among the only members of their kind to switch from a carnivorous diet to a herbivorous one. A short distance away, the strange toothed noasaur Masiakasaurus has used his peculiar set of teeth slay a snake, and is already digging into his kill.

Continuing to observe the ecosystem, the male abelisaur spots a sight that all carnivores love - a dying herbivore. An old Rapetosaurus, having fallen ill, low lies on its side, unable to right itself. Approaching the old animal without a hint of fear, the carnivore swiftly breaks its neck, then digs in. It is not long before he has had his fill. Taking one last bite out of the carcass, which he does not swallow, he abandons it to the various scavengers waiting to pilfer it.

A few minutes later, he is deep within the nearby forest, where he lets out a low bellow. He receives a similar bellow as a response, before another, more drably colored member of his own kind emerges from the brush. This is his mate, and she is very hungry. He offers her the meat, which she greedily devours, before motioning for him to join her.

Hidden in the brush is a clutch of eggs - his and his mate's brood. It must be guarded by at lest on adult at all times, and now, it is the male's turn to guard it. Cautiously, he coils up around his brood, already watching for egg thieves. His mate takes one last look at him, before leaving - it is now her turn to feast on the carcass. The two will take turns caring for the brood until they hatch, at which point they will leave the nest, young in tow, on the endless search for food.

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At the south pole, a mixture of beasts from the Northern and Southern hemispheres fight for survival.

Most common among the herbivores are saurolophine hadrosaurs and nodosaurine ankylosaurs. Joining them are small ornithopods, relatively unchanged from their ancestors in the Early Cretaceous. Titanosaurs and abelisaurs are also common in the area, but the dominant predator is a different type of dinosaur entirely. On the cold plains of Antarctica, feasting on the carcass of an Antarctopelta, lies this region's most impressive killer.

Sinking her claws and teeth into the armored dinosaur's soft belly is a titanic raptor, one of a size comparable to the American Dakotaraptor. This is Antarctoraptor, a member of a group known as the Unenlagians. Normally reduced to the shadows of larger carnivores, these predators can thrive in colder climates, where the lack of food causes their normal competitors to shrink. Here, for possibly the last time in history, dromaeosaurs are the top predators.

Yet while they are adapted to survive in the cold, whether or not this will save them from the coming storm is up in the air.

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In Europe, however, lies the strangest cast of all.

Unlike the rest of the World, Europe has changed very little form how it was during the Jurassic - much of the continent is divided into islands, and as a result, most of its dinosaurs have become smaller than their mainland relatives.

In what is now Romania, the chief herbivores are dwarf titanosaurs called Magyarosaurus. No bigger than a rhino, they are among the smallest sauropods alive, and are utterly dwarfed by their mainland relatives. On the European islands, however, they are the largest terrestrial herbivores, and have few natural predators - the most common predators aretroodontids called Elopteryx, and they are too small and ill equipped to assault such a large, armored herbivore. Even the European tyrannosaurs and abelisaurs have difficulty hunting them.

Here, however, there is one predator that can hunt the sauropods from impunity. And it isn't restricted to the land.

Crashing down from the skies is the titanic pterosaur, Hatzegopetryx. The bulkiest pterosaur to ever live, this creature dominates the skies of Romania. Just like its American cousin, Quetzalcoatlus, it is a land predator, but it is far more muscular than the American pterosaur, and for good reason - it is a hunter of larger game.

This is a killer of adult sauropods.

Panicking, the herd stampedes, but the giant pterosaur has limbs built like a gazelle, and swiftly overtakes one of the dinosaurs. The poor sauropod is torn apart, first by the giant pterosaur, then by others of its kind.

This unique ecosystem, where aerial predators rule of terrestrial prey, will occur only one more time in the fossil record, on the island of New Zealand. Yet while man will bear witness to that spectacular environment, this one will fall to a far grimmer threat.

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As months pass, the situation in Western North America continues to deteriorate - in the North, the forests have begun to shrink. Game has become less common, forcing the Dakotaraptors to search more dangerous areas for food.

A tyrannosaur nest can provide quite a feast, but the raptors must be wary of the parents, lest they end up as the tyrant dinosaurs' feast. This time, however, the nest is undefended, and its contents easy pickings for nest raiders. Already, a pair of didelphodon are at the nest, fighting over an egg.

The increasing volcanic activity has caused many dinosaur eggs to become infertile, and has killed all of the embryos in this nest. The parents of this egg, having lost their brood, have abandoned it in the hopes of starting a new one. In turn, the volcanism is also why the raptors have yet to lay any eggs of their won, though this is also due to a scarcity of food, as even if their eggs hatched, they may not be able to feed their young.

Eventually, however, the hungry dinosaur are forced to leave the nest - a bull tyrannosaur has also caught onto the smell of the eggs, and the raptors stand no chance against him.

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Hundreds of miles to the South, the increasing hardship has caused changes in the behavior of the Alamosaurus. With food becoming ever rarer, they have begun to migrate North, toward Utah and Wyoming, in search of greener lands. Joining them are a pair of Quetzalcoatlus, hoping to devour any of the giants that die on the migration. Some remain south, but with their numbers now diminished, many of their fellow herbivores are now vulnerable to attack. Already, the tyrannosaur pack has felled one of the Kritosaurus, using numbers to isolate and overwhelm the plant eater. The rest of the herbivores keep their distance, less they end up as another meal for the tyrants.

The sauropods, meanwhile, how arrived at the what will one day be California. Here, the land meets the sea, occasionally, creatures from both environments are forced into conflict. On a rocky part of the coast, hadrosaurs known as Augustynolophus are occasionally attacked by mosasaurs such as Plotosaurus when they attempt to use the salt water to cleanse parasites from their bodies. Those that are slain often find their bodies torn apart by not only the mosasaurs, but also by plesiosaurs such as Fresnosaurus, which will not turn down a free meal, even if they primarily eat fish.

Uncaring of the violence on the coastline, the sauropods move on, eventually moving inland. Unfortunately, there luck is about to take a turn for the worse - a volcanic eruption to the North has trigger a sandstorm, which quickly falls upon the herd. Visibility drops to zero, while the howling sounds of the wind make it impossible for the giant dinosaurs to hear each other. Collisions between giants are uncommon, and while injuries are rare, these accidents only serve to further disorient the herd.

Over an hour later, the storm subsides. Most of the animals have emerged fine, but for one pair of Alamosaurus, the situation has become very bleak - the two have become isolated from the herd, and storm has erased all footprints except their own. Desperate to reunite with their companions, they continue to follow their instincts and memory toward the Northern feeding grounds...but they are going the wrong way. Overhead, the Quetzalcoatlus begin to circle the sauropods, waiting for them to die.

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Months have passed, and the rest of the herd has long since their Northern grounds. Having managed to fill their bellies, they now migrate South, so that they can return to their home in New Mexico, where they can breed.

Hundreds of miles to the East, the Dakotaraptor pair is resting in their nest. In the twilight skies above them, meteors shoot across the sky, precursors to a catastrophic entity from outspace - an asteroid six miles across, sent on a collision course with Earth following an earlier collision with another asteroid. Its arrival will have cataclysmic effects on life all across the globe.

Normally, the raptors would be hunting tonight, but they were lucky, and managed to find the carcass of anhadrpsaur to feast on before sundown. Their bellies full, they have no reason to leave the nest.

What is to come, however, is something their well defended nest will not be able to protect them from.

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Days later, and life goes on as usual. In Madagascar, the Majungasaurus eggs have hatched, and the young are now exploring their new world. In Europe, the pterosaurs are resting, while the native sauropods browse, joined by a dwarf iguanodont called Zalmoxes, who use the sauropods for protection. The female Antarctoraptor is enjoying the carcass of a small ornithopod, while the tyrannosaurs are feasting on a Torosaurus carcass. For a moment, all is calm.

Then, at last, the Asteroid arrives.

Slamming into the Earth at Herculean speeds, it impacts in the Gulf of Mexico, obliterating everything for miles around. Dinosaurs who see the impact are blinded, shortening many of their already low lifespans considerably. From there, a massive shockwave flies across the globe, followed shortly by the blast front and, after that, by fragments of the asteroid that were thrown back into the air.

The migrating Alamosaurus are traversing through an open plain when the blast front hits them. Defenseless against such a powerful force, they are wiped out in an instant. Uncaring, the blast front revealed further, reaching tje border between the United States and Canada before fizzling out.

Most of the Americas are now blazing wastelands, while Europe, Africa and Australia now find themselves assailed by tsunamis, while the entire world now suffers from Earthquakes...and this is just a fraction of the devastation to come.

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Weeks pass, and the world has been transformed.

In North America, many types of dinosaurs are now extinct, and those that remain face many hardships. The tyrannosaur pack is already weakened, the young female having vanished, likely killed during the impact. The pack readies to attack Kritosaurus, desperate to sate their bellies, but miss their chance when another tyrannosaur strikes first. This time, however, the hadrosaur fights back, and manages to repel the tyrannosaur, who retreats to find weaker prey.

To the North, the Dakotaraptor nest lies ruined and abandoned. There is no sign of its inhabitants, and it is likely they survived the initial catastrophe, only to die off in the following days. Not far away, the Pectinodon and Didelphodon feast on the carcass of a Tyrannosaurus, as well as the carcass of an Ornithomimus - a predator carrying its last meal when it faced the blast cloud.

Even the eastern edge of North America was not spared - much of the coastline was devasted by tsunamis, and the area was also ravaged by the blast front. With prey now a rarity, the Dryptosaurus have been forced to leave the safety of their home territories in search of food. This trio has gotten lucky - before them is the carcass of a mosasaur. Having been beached in the days prior, possibly by the blast, possibly by bad luck, the giant predator quickly suffocated under its own mass and died. While an ignominious end for the sea lizard, it is a welcome sight for the tyrannosaurs, who greedily dig into its remains.

The situation is not much different elsewhere in the world. In Madagascar, the Majungasaurus are finding their prey ever more illusive, the sauropods and iguanodonts devastated by the impact. Deprived of their main source of food, the great carnivores are forced to eat the only common source of food that remains- each other. The brood and their parents dig into the remains of one of their compatriots that was killed in the initial disaster, the meat finally taking the edge off their hunger. Even with this meal, however, the young are unlikely to survive for very long - if they do not starve, their parents may eat them.

In Europe, the native herbivores and predators are reeling from the recent disaster - the mighty Hatzegopteryx, once supreme predators, are reduced to scavengers bullying the Elopteryx off of carcasses. The sauropods have started to migrate, taking advantage of a sudden drop in sea level to cross over to nearby islands in search of food. For the few giant pterosaurs that are still hunting for food and have not followed the sauropods, they are forced to prey on the smaller Zalmoxes for food.

Even the Antarctic is not spared from suffering. The recent drop in sea levels is due to a rapid freezing over of the North and South Poles. Normally, such freezing temperatures are common during the winters, but this onset of cold is happening during the summer, and already, it has taken its toll - many native dinosaurs have frozen to death, while the survivors are forced to take shelter in caves or burrows. As the cold shows no signs of stopping, it is unlikely these dinosaurs will survive until the world thaws.

Indeed, this cold will expand until the whole world feels its effects.

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It takes the world millions of years to recover, and when it does, the great dinosaurs were gone, never to return.

In their place, new animals arise to take over the world.

Five million years after the impact, where the Tyrannosaurus pack used to roam, a herd of strange creatures roam a Primeval forest. These fuzzy animals, which are rpughly the size of ponies, are a type of mammal, and are the first large mammalian herbivores, and they are being watched.

Already, they are being watched.

Nearby the herd stands a large bird, with small wings and a hooked beak. This is a bathornid, a type of large, predatory bird. Though dinosaurs have mostly died out, the avian ones have survived, and are ready to take their forbearers place.

Yet they are not alone.

 **AN: Soundtrack Start: Walking With Beasts - Introduction**

Watching the herd from the underbrush are a pair of bear sized mammals. These creatures are called Ankalagon, and they are predators. Though the herbivores are unaware of their presence, the bird does, and slowly retreats into the shadows. It is well aware it cannot win a fight with both of the hunters.

The Age of the Dinosaurs is over. The Age of Mammals has dawned.

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 **AN: Well, this story is finally at an end. It's been a good ride, but nothing lasts forever. I'll post a trivia section in an hour or two to clear up some questions.**

 **So, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!**


	7. Trivia

**Here we go:**

 **1\. The Chinle Chapter was supposed to be longer, but was ultimately cut down in part because I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted it to turn out. I might make it longer later.**

 **2\. I briefly thought about making the Early Jurassic chapter follow _Dilophosaurus,_ but want to include a less well known setting, so there.**

 **3\. For the record, the third chapter was a mixture of Time of the Titans and Cruel Sea from the original Walking With Dinosaurs, as well as The Watering Hole from Dinosaur Revolution.**

 **4. _Stokesosaurus_ and _Koparion_ were originally supposed to have a larger role in Titans of Land and Sea. I WILL go back and write scenes for them in, but later. Like, maybe in a month.**

 **5\. Yes, that was Big Al that showed up in Chapter 3. I like him a lot.**

 **6\. Originally, the _Simolestes_ was supposed to succeed in taking down a _Duriatitan._ After watching Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (ow, my childhood), I decided to change it to another sauropod, and when it turned out that all other sauropods from the formation I used are dubious genera at best, just decided to have the pliosaur fail outright in its attack.**

 **7\. Spirits of the Frozen Forest was originally supposed to have the pterosaur _Eopteranodon_ show up as a fruit eating tapejarid. Since it turns out its actually a different type of pterosaur entirely (one that eats fish), it was scrapped.**

 **8. _Microraptor_ was also supposed to show up in hapter4, but was scrapped due to temporal inaccuracy.**

 **9\. There were plans for either an iguanodont or a giant crocodile to show up in chapter five, but that was scrapped due to lack of interest and, in the case of the iguanodont, temporal inaccuracy.**

 **10\. The Lamenta formation from India was considered for the final chapter, but was scrapped due an already large roster of characters.**

 **11\. Had the final chapter been longer, the _Ojoraptorosaurus_ would have gotten an additional scene scavenging the New Mexico area and have to deal with being chased by Tyrannosaurus, as they and the _Glyptodontopelta_ were the only remaining sources of food. The pack would have been much smaller by this point, and when one of their kills is stolen by an old female rex, would have killed and cannibalized her.**

 **Yeah, so, that's it. Stories over, goodbye. And please read my other stories!**


	8. Epilogue: Second Chance

**...What's this? AN EPILOGUE CHAPTER?! AFTER I SAID THE STORY WAS OVER?! WHY?!**

 **Well, I wanted to clear up what, exactly, happened to some of the cast in Demise of the Dinosaurs whose fates were essentially glossed over. So, enjoy.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Dakotaraptor pair trotted through the plains, trying to remain ahead of their prey. Far to their right, a female Tyrannosaurus was chasing a flock of ornithomimosaurs and oviraptorids. The female rex was limping, and her left leg had clearly been gored by a ceratopsian. Normally, such fast prey would be beyond her ability to catch, and now that should be even more true, given her injuries. Still, she refused to stop pursuing them. Clearly she was desperate.

The terrain was in her favor, though - her prey was heading toward a pass that would force them between a hill and a river, narrowing them into a position where they could easily be attacked. The raptors were also aware of this and were trying to head them off, so that hopefully, they could take down one of the fat runners for themselves - food was scarce enough as is, and they'd already been forced to leave their nest to search for more prey. Hopefully, they could return in a few hours, kill in claws.

As they crested the hill that the river was just behind, though, they found themselves staring at a peculiar sight: before them were a pair of dinosaurs they had never seen before. All that mattered was that they had long necks, long tails, armor on their back...and were very, _very **big**_...…

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The Alamosaurus pair trudged onwards, still searching for their herd. They had been migrating for several months now, trying to reunite with their herd they had lost in the dust storm, unaware that they traveled in entirely the wrong direction. Their travels had taken them here, to what man would call Montana, even though they did not know or care about that fact. Still, while they had managed to stave off starvation on their travels, they had yet to reunite with their herd. Overhead, their pterosaur followers were flying, now joined by a pair of native azdharchids and a pair of tapejarids, the latter two late survivors among their kind. As the sauropods had yet to keel over, and were now unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future, the pterosaurs had settled for eating anything they could find, though they still followed the giants, in case some opportunity showed itself.

Now, however, something new had caught the giant dinosaurs' attention.

Here, between a hill and a river, a group of strange, bipedal creatures were busy piling Logs on top of each other. One of those creatures, upon seeing them, promptly stopped carrying the logs and began to approach them. Curious, the sauropods lowered their heads so that they could get a better look at it.

The creature had strange colored skin - tan and pink in some places, blue and greyish brown in others. It also had fur on its head, but longer than the fur on any mammal the sauropods had ever seen. It held its back vertically, instead of horizontally. Lastly, it didn't seem to be scared of the sauropods. If anything, it just seemed curious.

The sauropods wanted to look at it for a while longer, but then a shriek filled the air.

XXXXX

The raptors charged down the hillside. Though the sauropod was beyond their ability to take down, the funny skinned creature was not. Normally, they would not have given away their position with shriek, but hunger was causing them to ignore their instincts for the sake of filling their bellies. Within minutes, they were approaching striking distance.

Then a huge form landed nearby them. It was a giraffe sized pterosaur. A second soon appeared beside it, followed by two smaller pterosaurs, as well as two more with strange crests. Instantly, the raptors began hissing at the pterosaurs - they were too hungry to be afraid of the larger killers, and they would not retreat from such an easily available food source. The smaller pterosaurs milled about in confusion, unsure what to do, but making sure to stay away from the raptors, while the sauropods seemed to be deciding on which of the predators they wanted to kick.

Then a familiar bellow filled the air. Turning toward it, all of the creatures watched as the herd of ostrich and egg stealing dinosaurs thundered toward them, followed by one very hungry female Tyrannosaurus.

Instantly, all former animosity was forgotten, as predator and prey charged away from the Tyrannosaurus, among them the sauropods who, despite being immune to attack by the tyrant dinosaur, would prefer to avoid her presence. A strange light suddenly appeared before them, and when they passed through it, the dinosaurs (and errant pterosaurs) found themselves in a new location, one very unlike where they had just been. For one thing, there were less conifers. Additionally, it was very humid.

Soon, more of the strange bipeds appeared, herding the mixed horde into special clearings for each of them, before providing them with food according to their diet. The raptors greedily devoured the meat they were given, glad to finally have something to sate their bellies.

Later still, all of the non-titanic dinosaurs were herded onto strange creatures that took them to new and unique places. The raptors were moved to a forest, the oviraptorids to a scrub, and the ornithomimosaurs to an open plain with a rather large pond in it. As for the sauropods, they were moved to a titanic pampa where they were free to wander, with the pterosaurs being moved to a large enclosed canyon, filled with fish, fruit, and meat for them to devour to their heart's content.

None of the dinosaurs knew this, but all of them had been given a second chance at survival. A second chance in the face of extinction.

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 **AN: Yep, you read that right - the Dakotaraptors, Alamosaurus pair, and pterosaur group in this story were the same ones that were rescued in Prehistoric Park: Returned From Extinction. This was something I had planned from the minute the story was written, so here it is.**

 **Anyway, read and review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!**


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